Cancellation of Willpower

Ego depletion and provoked decision fatigue.

Willpower is the engine that allows us to resist coercion and maintain control over our lives.

Manipulators know that this resource is finite; it functions like a battery or a muscle that fatigues with intensive use. In psychology, this phenomenon is known as "ego depletion."

The predatory strategy consists of forcing the victim to use up his or her reserves of willpower quickly in order to render him or her defenseless against further demands. A common tactic to accomplish this is the induction of "decision fatigue."

The manipulator deliberately places the victim in scenarios where she must make constant decisions, resolve trivial conflicts, or process contradictory information relentlessly.

The more decisions a person is forced to make in a short period of time, the lower his or her ability to reason and resist, becoming ineffective and docile.

Stress overload and extreme situations to break down resistance

In addition to cognitive attrition, emotional overload is used. A manipulator may deliberately agitate a victim who is trying to remain calm, creating situations of chaos, drama or artificial urgency.

By keeping the target in a state of hypervigilance and chronic stress, their mental energy is drained to a breaking point. External factors such as scarcity or threat to well-being are also used.

By jeopardizing the person's financial, job or relational security, their mind is forced into survival mode, where principles and long-term will are sacrificed for immediate security.

A skilled manipulator knows that a frazzled, stressed and frightened person cannot say "no."

Summary

Willpower