Attacks your feelings and bonds
Reciprocity bait
An unasked-for gift or favour creates a debt they then collect.
The first tell
You feel indebted. That feeling arrives before you can name the move.
What it sounds like
A stranger hands you a free bracelet at a market, then asks for a donation and won't take it back.
Say back
Thank you. I didn't ask for it, and I'm not paying for it.
If they push
I gave you something. That's rude.
A gift doesn't come with a bill. Here it is back.
How this family is disarmed
Weigh actions over words and keep your own pace.
Paid
See it in dating and at work
Context packs show this tactic in the settings where it does the most damage, and let you drill it against a timer.
Related tactics
- Love bombingIntense affection arrives very fast, before trust has had time to form.
- Guilt-trippingThey make you feel like a bad person for saying no.
- NeggingA put-down dressed as a compliment, meant to make you seek their approval.
- Future fakingBig promises about later are used to get what they want now.