Get unlimited access to everything VICE has to offer.

Turn off all ads on VICE.com

Exclusive New VICE Documentaries

Member Exclusive Features & Columns

Turn off all ads on VICE.com

Exclusive New VICE Documentaries

Member Exclusive Features & Columns

Turn off all ads on VICE.com

Exclusive New VICE Documentaries

Member Exclusive Features & Columns

4 Magazines Delivered to Your Door

This Is the Most Dangerous Type of Manipulator (And How to Spot Them)

Experts say partial truths can be especially disorienting because they blur reality and make you question your own memory and judgment.

Share on X (Opens in new window)X

Share on Facebook (Opens in new window)Facebook

Share using Native toolsShareCopied to clipboard

I recently read an article that described the most dangerous and manipulative type of person as someone who doesn’t flat-out lie, but instead tells partial lies and partial truths. Why? Because this type of person often causes you to doubt your reality. 

When someone fully lies to your face, it’s usually easy to call out and label them as untrustworthy. But when someone tells you most of the truth—while bending or leaving out other details—it starts to get a bit hazy. This can make you question your own perception or memory, and that can be a slippery slope into manipulation.

I spoke with a therapist about why, exactly, this type of behavior is so concerning—and how to avoid being fooled by the half-truth-telling manipulator.

Oftentimes, we confuse liars for manipulators—which, to be honest, is a fair mixup. Liars often use their........

© Vice