#1
#2
Eventually moved in with him. All going well until we were doing an online science quiz together. I got a question right that he got wrong. He completely lost it, called me stupid, told me that the quiz was wrong, my education was terrible. He went on and on and after I tried to argue back he insisted that I apologise to him and reduced me to tears. He could switch so quickly that I never knew what would set him off. He would also detail all the ways that I had failed after any social interaction such as a meal with friends.
I grew up in a very dysfunctional family and endured four years of similar behaviour, gaslighting and a major mental breakdown (mine) before finally getting away. He also tried to persuade me to k**l myself.
#3
We get a new guy on the team and he is the friendliest guy ever. He's so polite. He even stopped me in a hallway and randomly gave me money to use at the snack machine we were standing by.
End of the day, he leaves and the team is talking about the new guy. Im like "oh he's great right?" Everyone looks at me like I've grown a second head.
Apparently he was a huge POS, refusing to do work and even stealing food from coworkers literally on his first day. He was the son of some big shot salesperson up the corporate ladder, and I guess he mistook me for a boss because of my seating arrangement. He was sucking up to me while being a POS to everyone else. He was fired the same day he was hired. Who knows if sucking up to the correct person would've helped.
A few months ago, a thread appeared on the AskReddit community, the author of which, the user u/ShadowlightLady, asked netizens: "What was your experience encountering a wolf in sheep's clothing?" Yes, there are not so many stories there today compared to some viral threads - only about 200 comments - but reading these stories is actually quite useful.
After all, even if you're lucky enough to never encounter such people in your life, who knows what the future holds? So, being able to understand the kind of person trying to become your close friend (and they almost always do) will definitely come in handy.
#4
F**k Raul Labrador and the entire state of Idaho.
#5
By the time I saw it, I felt completely alone. She wasn’t a friend. She just liked having control over someone weaker.
#6
But I always knew he was a wolf. I just didn't know he'd do it to me. While in the doldrums of my career, I was working for my dad. My pay was based on the profits of the store I entirely ran with some residuals from some other parts of the business; none of this was written in a formal contract, but rather several informal agreements based on trust. One year I nearly made more than $100k. I told my brother this, thinking he'd be happy for me.
Noooope. He was upset I was going to make more than him. So he called my dad and convinced him that if he continued with my "sweetheart deal", dad could be sued by my other siblings, so I got a massive paycut. This is of course nonsense. The only person who could sue dad was now me for breach of contract, as the agreements were firm enough for a courtroom.
My dad told me about the call from my brother but I asked my brother and he lied and said that dad was confused.
I decided to quit and started looking for a new job. Told my brother this and he sent an email to try to convince me to stay, arguing it was beneficial for me, but somehow I was able to see that he was just trying to protect his inheritance, as I was supposed to be running the store after dad retired, for the benefit of all the family.
The final straw was when I asked him for patent advice a few months later and he gave the one piece of advice a lawyer would never give: "file it on your own **and don't hire a lawyer**." He's been blocked since. That was about 2 years ago and I have no intention of changing anything.
The very concept of a "wolf in sheep's clothing" is believed to originate from Jesus Christ's legendary Mount Sermon: "Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves." At the same time, the concept itself, apparently, is even older than Christ, as there's a fable by the ancient author Aesop about a wolf disguised as a sheep in order to sneak into a barnyard.
Since then, this definition has been actively used by many authors, from Shakespeare and Molière to Lucas and Martin. And we, having realized that we've been shamelessly manipulated for a while, also use the expression "wolf in sheep's clothing" for former friends, acquaintances, or even significant others.
#7
#8
I confronted him about these antics one night after noticing a pattern and his whole demeanor just disappeared and what was left was this cold, sinister look like I just saw the mask slip. He flatly stated he had no idea what I was talking about before jumping right back into his cheery expression. Never felt so creeped out by a person. We ended up getting into a fight the next day and I kicked him out and told him never talk to me again, I don’t care if we share a deadbeat father, you are nothing and no one to me but a parasite.
#9
Interestingly, such manipulators, skillful and not so, are found not only in personal relationships but also at work, in school, and in sports. For example, I personally heard this description applied to Aaron Rodgers - that he allegedly learned everything by sitting behind Brett Favre, and then, when he gained strength and skill, pushed the former Packers starting quarterback off the team.
Well, that was just a fan’s take, and to correctly identify the person in this case, you need to be well-versed in the situation. However, if you're, for example, an experienced employee, and a younger colleague is actively trying to gain your trust and adopt both your hard and soft skills, then who actually knows? Perhaps you should be wary of them?
#10
Months later, she was fired for a series of issues but mostly allegedly having an affair with one of her student volunteers the same age as her kids.
#11
#12
The most important thing is to recognize such behavior early, experts say. And then, if your suspicions are quite correct, simply resist their manipulation. If they're trying to coerce you into acting aggressively, just stay calm. If they're trying to present themselves as your only devoted friend, then question their flattering words.
After all, such people may not only try to cause you obvious harm. Some simply want to "feed off" your life energy, to make you experience strong emotions so they can "recharge" from them. Don't give in to this. However, not everything in this life is so bad.
"Don't lose hope. Not everyone is a wolf. In fact, there are far more sheep than wolves - people who genuinely want the best for you, celebrate your wins, and offer constructive feedback. These relationships are worth pouring into," this dedicated post at the Shine Blog claims reasonably.
#13
#14
#15
After that, i would start doing hidden watermarks so he couldn't lie to pass the blame.
Well, let's hope these stories, on the other hand, don't destroy your faith in humanity. After all, you shouldn't succumb to pure paranoia and see every person who tries to befriend you as a cunning and wily manipulator. Perhaps it's worth simply opening up to them - and, as Humphrey Bogart once said, "This could be the beginning of a beautiful friendship."
But in any case, now that you've read all these tales, you'll be better informed about what might be happening and how best to proceed. You've already read these stories, haven't you? Then what about dropping a comment or even sharing some interesting story from your own life experience?
#16
#17
#18
#19
#20
But behind my back, he told others my secrets things I’d trusted him with
That’s when I learned
Not everyone who smiles at you means well
Some people aren’t friends They’re just good at pretending.