Exploiters Manipulate People Who Show Negative Facial Expressions

It has been found that often people who seem empathetic actually manipulate people whose expressions they can read. University of Michigan conducted a study to determine the relationship between empathy, narcissism and recognition of emotion and found that often people who appeared understanding and empathetic manipulated the individual whose facial expressions they could read. These people got high scores on emotional intelligence as well as the type of narcissism called ‘exploitativeness”. They are referred to as ‘exploiters’ and have been found to be very adept at identifying facial expressions that are actually emotionally negative. Konrath of the University of Michigan says that negative emotions are often a signal of vulnerability and exploiters think expressions of doubt, caution or uncertainty in the other person are an indication of their low self esteem and use that knowledge to manipulate them for their own gain. This study casts light on the darker side of human emotional intelligence.