Emotional Manipulators LOVE Leading and Loaded Questions. Don’t Fall For it

Beware of trick questions designed to make you look like a prat

DannyIngles
3 min readApr 2, 2024
Photo by Afif Ramdhasuma on Unsplash

Emotional manipulators thrive off using verbal judo. And one of their most favored tactics is interrogating you into a trap.

I’m talking about the deadly loaded and leading questions. Both aren’t actually queries looking for your point of view. No, they’re rhetorical - designed to twist your arm and pollute any rational debate.

The goal is always the same: Put you at an unfair disadvantage, and assert a slam-dunk power move. While making you look stupid, of course.

I’ll explain what they are and how to respond. Knowing your way around this sly tactic is a valuable life skill.

Leading Questions

A leading question suggests or implies its own answer.

The manipulator is hand-holding you into a pit of snakes. Leading you into an unfavorable frame that aligns with their agenda.

It’s kind of like a hypnotic suggestion. Making you think that you’ve arrived at your own conclusion while leading you down a rabbit hole.

  • ‘Don’t you think you’ve spent enough time with your friends this year?’

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