Lexicon

Manipulation, or Intrusiveness, is a character "vice of excess" stemming from what would otherwise be a character virtue in the form of Influence. Both are narcissistic traits, just like any vice would be, but in the use of the word, "intrusiveness," we are highlighting the nature of the poor boundaries involved for those who invade the privacy, ideas, beliefs and space of others. Use of the word, "Manipulation" or "manipulative," we are highlighting the nature of attempting to change or control the ideas and beliefs of another person. This is why manipulation is a vice of excess Influence.

Someone who is "manipulative," is by definition, pathologically narcissistic to some degree. However, all human beings are on a spectrum with some degree of manipulativeness, no matter how small. in addition, there are degrees of age-appropriate narcissism and manipulativeness. For a young child, the degree of their clever, excess influence is usually not called, "manipulation" but rather, the "terrible twos" or "being a threenager," as opposed to being labeled negative, narcissistic, or some other derogatory term.

The nature of the character vice, "manipulation," also can parallel one's dominant level of maturity of the Ego Defenses that we also cover, from Primitive Ego Defenses, to Immature Ego Defenses, both rather "manipulative," we grow toward the Neurotic Ego Defenses, and finally, the Mature Ego Defenses, which are the least narcissistic and least manipulative of all.