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When people use manipulative language, they produce utterances or statements, which in pragmatics, are called as locutions They do the locutionary
act. Nonetheless, those statements are not genuinely produced without any particular intentions by the speaker. The motives behind the manipulation can be analysed by
investigating the illocutionary acts of the statements, which mainly includes the reasons behind the manipulation itself.
2.6.1. Language Manipulation Strategies
Simon 2000:79 states that almost everyone is familiar with the term “defense mechanism”. It is the the automatic or unconscious mental behaviors that
people employ to protect or defend themselves from the threat of some emotional pain. Most of the times, people use it to defend their reputation or self-images from
the chance to feel ashamed or guilty about something. Since this thesis focuses on an individual object named Ted Bundy, who had
been convicted on crime cases such as murdering, raping, and torturing over 50 women, then he will be regarded as the manipulator, or someone who tries to defend
and justify his behavior using different strategies of manipulation. Simon 2000:80-92 claims that there are 14 types of language manipulation
strategies. Those strategies are: 1. Denial
Denial is the language manipulation strategy used by manipulators to refuse all bad behaviors that have been pinned on them when in fact, they are indeed
responsible for all of those bad behaviors.
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“This is when the aggressor refuses to admit that they’ve done something harmful or hurtful when they clearly have.” Simon 2000:80
2. Selective Inattention This strategy is used by manipulators when they pretend not to hear or know
the question that is referred to them. “It’s when the aggressor “plays dumb”, or act oblivious. When engaging
in this tactic, the aggressor actively ignores the warnings, pleas or wishes of others, and in general, refuses to pay attention to everything and
anything that might distract them from pursuing their own agenda. Often, the aggressor knows full well what you want from him when he starts to
exhibit this “I don’t want to hear it” behavior. By using this tactic, the aggressor actively resists submitting himself to the tasks of paying
attention to or refraining from the behavior you want him to change.” Simon 2000:82
3. Rationalization Manipulators use this strategy to justify their behavior as rationally as
possible to make people think that there is a big chance that they are right. Most of the times, people cannot sense that they are doing manipulation because what the
manipulators say makes just enough sense. “A rationalization is the excuse an aggressor tries to offer for engaging in
an inappropriate or harmful behavior. It can be an effective tactic, especially when the explanation or justification the aggressor offers makes
just enough sense that any reasonably conscientious person is likely to fall for it. If the agressor can convince you they’re justified in whatever they’re
doing, then they’re freer to pursue their goals without interference.” Simon 2000:84
4. Diversion Diversion is a manipulation strategy in which manipulators try to drag the
topic and direct people’s attention to another issue in order to keep themselves safe for moments.
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“When we try to pin a manipulator down or try to keep a discussion focused on a single issue or behavior we don’t like, they’re expert at
knowing how to change the subject, dodge the issue or in some way throw us a curve. They use distraction and diversion techniques to keep the focus
off their behavior, move us off-track, and keep themselves free to promote their self-serving hidden agendas.”Simon 2000:84
5. Lying Lying is a manipulation strategy which manipulators use to cover their fault
to people in a calm and subtle way that sometimes it makes people become unconscious that the manipulators are currently lying.
“It’s hard to tell when a person is lying at the time they’re doing it. Manipulators often lie by withholding a significant amount of the truth
from you or by distorting the truth. They are adept at being vague when you ask them direct questions. This is an especially slick way of lying by
omission.”Simon 2000:86
6. Covert Intimidation Manipulators use covert intimidation strategy to give some sort of threats to
people so that people will feel the frightening sense which they are trying to give. “Aggressor frequently threaten their victims too keep them anxious,
apprehensive in one-down position. Covert-aggressive intimidate their victims by making veiled subtle, indirect or implied threats.”
Simon 2000:86
7. Guilt-tripping Most of the times, manipulators know very well that normal people possess
consciences that are certainly larger than them. As a result, manipulators often make people sympathize with their condition so that people will try to understand their
position and therefore believe that the manipulators are actually not completely bad persons.
“This is one of the covert-aggressive’s two favorite weapons the other is shaming. It’s a special kind of intimidation tactic. One thing that
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aggressive personalities know well is that other types of persons have very different consciences than they do. Manipulators are often skilled at using
what they know to be the greater conscientiousness of their victims as a means of keeping them in a self-doubting, anxious, and submissive
position. The more conscientious the potential victim, the more effective guilt is as a weapon.”Simon 2000:87
8. Shaming Shaming is the strategy that manipulators use which includes saying sarcasm
and even striking people back in a subtle way. This strategy is done to make people doubt that the manipulators are bad persons.
“This is the technique of using subtle sarcasm and put-downs as a means of increasing self-doubt in others. Covert-aggressives use this tactic to
make others feel inadequate or unworthy, and therefore, defer to them.”Simon 2000:88
9. Playing the Victim Role As a mechanism of defending themselves, manipulators use this strategy to
set themselves as victims of one condition. “This tactic involves portraying oneself as an innocent victim of
circumstance or someone else’s behavior in order to gain sympathy, evoke compassion and thereby get something from another. Convince your victim
you’re suffering in some way, and they’ll try to relieve your distress.”Simon 2000:89
10. Vilifying the Victim This strategy is mostly similar with playing the victim role, unless it includes
the act of manipulators to make people feel bad about themselves and therefore treat the manipulators as victims.
“This tactic is frequently used in conjunction with the tactic of playing the victim role. The aggressor uses this tactic to make it appear he is only
responding i.e. defending himself against aggression on the part of the victim.” Simon 2000:89
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11. Playing the Servant Role Playing the servant role is a manipulation strategy which shows that the
manipulators are contributing in some hard work to conceal their real purpose, which is to manipulate people.
“Covert-aggressives use this tactic to cloak their self-serving agendas in the guise of service to a more noble cause. It’s a common tactic but
difficult to recognize. By pretending to be working hard on someone else’s behalf, covert-aggressives conceal their own ambition, desire for power,
and quest for a position of dominance over others.” Simon 2000:90
12. Seduction Manipulators use this strategy to perform themselves as people who are
appealing enough to gain people’s trust. Not only that, they also realise the needs of others to feel respected so they use this strategy to make people feel good about
themselves. “Covert-aggressive personalities are adept at charming, praising,
flattering or overtly supporting others in order to get them to lower their defenses and surrender their trust and loyalty. Covert-aggressive are also
particularly aware that people who are to some extent emotionally needy and dependent and that includes most people who aren’t character-
disordered want approval, reassurance, and a sense of being valued and needed more than anything. Appearing to be attentive to these needs can
be a manipulator’s ticket to incredible power over others.” Simon 2000:91
13. Projecting the Blame Blaming Others This is the strategy that manipulators use when they blame something else,
such as circumstances or things as the causes of their bad behaviors. “Aggressive personalities are always looking for a way to shift the blame
for their aggressive behavior. Covert-aggressives are not only skilled at finding scapegoats, they’re expert at doing so in subtle, hard to detect
ways.”Simon 2000:91
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14. Minimization Minimization is a manipulation strategy which includes the capability of
manipulators to make people think that their mistakes are not as big as people think they are.
“This tactic is a unique kind of denial coupled with rationalization. When using this maneuver, the aggressor attempting to assert their abusive
behavior isn’t really as harmful or irresponsible as someone else may be claiming. It’s the aggressor’s attempt to make a mole-hill out of a
mountain.”Simon 2000:92
2.6.2. Language Manipulation Motives
