Why Empathetic Individuals Attract Manipulative People?

by Todd Glassberg

The question of why empathetic individuals attract manipulative people who hurt them is not as complex as it may seem. The answer, although difficult to accept, is straightforward and often overlooked. Empathetic, caring, loving, loyal, and forgiving people are highly susceptible to manipulation and become repeated victims more easily than anyone else.

This doesn’t mean they are unintelligent, but rather a result of their inherent belief that others think, feel, and react in the same way they do. It becomes challenging for them to accept that seemingly normal individuals close to them may harbor dark motives or even evil intentions, despite overwhelming evidence.

Deeply empathetic people struggle to comprehend their insignificance to those who mean so much to them. They fear being wrong about someone’s true nature and would rather endure pain than cause it, even to those who have shown themselves to be a constant source of emotional turmoil.

Empaths prioritize forgiveness over holding others accountable, as they intimately understand the weight of guilt and shame. They believe in a creed that advocates for love without reservation, even if it means enduring countless heartbreaks. Narcissists are drawn to these open hearts, seizing the opportunity to exploit their vulnerability.

Users and manipulators recognize empathetic individuals as easy targets who will repeatedly endure emotional shredding to prove their love and bravery. They exploit this trait, tearing good people apart while giving thanks to the malevolent forces they serve.

Empaths misconstrue the unacceptable behavior they tolerate, excuse, and forgive as evidence of their love and unwavering devotion. They hold onto the hope that deep down, the manipulator will transform into a loving, grateful partner. However, this hope is misplaced.

Manipulators lack a genuine capacity for deep love and empathy. Even if they possessed such qualities, their affection would solely be directed towards themselves. There is no untapped tenderness or sacrificing love within them, especially not the version of love they drain from those cursed to know them intimately.

To exacerbate matters, weak-willed institutions and individuals, including churches and family members, provide insulation for these joy-vampires. They excuse their behavior without remorse, humility, or any form of atonement, falsely claiming it to be an expression of loving Christianity. This laughable and pathetic version of “love and understanding” only enables the manipulative narcissist to continue tormenting and destroying lives under the protection of so-called friends and spiritual cowards.

In the end, the victim must refuse to remain in that role. They must stand up and cease tolerating being treated as a mere worm, hoping for a sudden promotion to an equal who is admired and deeply cherished. Such a transformation will never occur, and everyone else except the victim already knows it.