Am I a Male Manipulator?

Take this quiz to see if you’re who the TikTok trend is talking about!

Hey king! Are you worried you're one of those "master male manipulators" you keep seeing people talk about on TikTok? Have a seat. Let's get to the bottom of this.

Answer these quick, simple questions, and we'll tell you honestly if you've got a bad case of the Manips.

Note: This quiz is just for jokes. A positive test result is not indicative of your personality. Probably.

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Questions Overview

1. Which of these artists really speaks to you?
  1. Kurt Cobain / Nirvana
  2. Jeff Buckley
  3. Elliott Smith
  4. Taylor Swift
2. What kind of jeans do you wear?
  1. Skinny.
  2. Boot cut.
  3. Baggy. Selvedge denim.
  4. Uh... the normal kind...?
3. How many books have you read in the past year?
  1. So many, dude. Believe me. So many, I swear. Don’t ask me about them, but just take my word for it.
  2. Several.
  3. A few.
  4. Honestly? None.
4. How many tattoos do you have?
  1. More than I can count
  2. 10+
  3. 1-10
  4. None
5. Do you have a nose ring?
  1. Yes
  2. No
6. Do you wear dangly earrings?
  1. Just one.
  2. Yes, on both ears.
  3. No, but I do wear earrings.
  4. I don't wear earrings.
7. What kind of headphones do you use?
  1. Corded, over-the-ear
  2. Corded earbuds
  3. Wireless
8. Choose a beverage. Quickly.
  1. Matcha Latte
  2. Iced Americano
  3. Sweet Tea
  4. Just water, thanks
9. Do you listen to podcasts? Any podcasts.
  1. Yes, so many podcasts, I'm so glad you asked my favorites are—
  2. Sure, some. Please don't make me talk about them.
  3. A couple. They're neat.
  4. None.
10. Have you ever ghosted someone?
  1. All the time. I'm about to ghost this quiz right now.
  2. Now and then. It sucks, but it happens.
  3. Not really!
11. What's your favorite way to listen to music?
  1. Streaming
  2. Downloaded on my phone or device
  3. Vinyl
  4. CDs, cassettes, retro mediums
12. Okay, this was fun, but we gotta go...
  1. Wait! Can I hit your DMs, beautiful? Maybe we can see a basement show sometime?
  2. Okay bestie, later!

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If we're being serious, though, you sound alright. Just remember not to talk over your lady friends, and maybe pick up a copy of <\/i>Orlando by Virginia Woolf. And actually read it.<\/i>","edit_links":[{"url":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/Master-Manipulator"},{"url":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/Pick-Up-on-Manipulative-Behavior"}],"link_data":[{"title":"How to Recognize & Protect Yourself from a Master Manipulator","id":14312644,"url":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/Master-Manipulator","relUrl":"\/Master-Manipulator","image":"\/images\/thumb\/6\/6c\/Master-Manipulator-Step-19.jpg\/-crop-200-200-200px-Master-Manipulator-Step-19.jpg","alt":"How to Recognize & Protect Yourself from a Master Manipulator"},{"title":"How to Pick Up on Manipulative Behavior","id":901281,"url":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/Pick-Up-on-Manipulative-Behavior","relUrl":"\/Pick-Up-on-Manipulative-Behavior","image":"\/images\/thumb\/5\/5b\/LR22-D-Emily-Dismisses-Alan.png\/-crop-200-200-200px-LR22-D-Emily-Dismisses-Alan.png","alt":"How to Pick Up on Manipulative Behavior"}],"minimum":0,"image":"","image_url":""},{"number":2,"text":"You might be a male manipulator... \ud83e\udd40","meaning":"Uh oh bestie, your test results are back, and it looks like you've got a mild case of the Manip. Not a total infection, but enough to make you want to mention how much you love Metallica to that goth baddie at the coffee shop. You probably see baggie jeans and Vans sneakers and get a weird urge to start doing kickflips in the middle of the sidewalk. Calm down, it's natural, it's a phase, and most guys go through it. Now, the cure is to go watch twenty foreign films without writing a Letterboxd essay about any of them. We know, it's hard, but we believe in you! \ud83e\udd40

If we're being serious, though, you sound alright. Just remember not to talk over your lady friends, and maybe pick up a copy of <\/i>Orlando by Virginia Woolf. And actually read it.<\/i>","edit_links":[{"url":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/Master-Manipulator"},{"url":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/Pick-Up-on-Manipulative-Behavior"}],"link_data":[{"title":"How to Recognize & Protect Yourself from a Master Manipulator","id":14312644,"url":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/Master-Manipulator","relUrl":"\/Master-Manipulator","image":"\/images\/thumb\/6\/6c\/Master-Manipulator-Step-19.jpg\/-crop-200-200-200px-Master-Manipulator-Step-19.jpg","alt":"How to Recognize & Protect Yourself from a Master Manipulator"},{"title":"How to Pick Up on Manipulative Behavior","id":901281,"url":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/Pick-Up-on-Manipulative-Behavior","relUrl":"\/Pick-Up-on-Manipulative-Behavior","image":"\/images\/thumb\/5\/5b\/LR22-D-Emily-Dismisses-Alan.png\/-crop-200-200-200px-LR22-D-Emily-Dismisses-Alan.png","alt":"How to Pick Up on Manipulative Behavior"}],"minimum":0,"image":"","image_url":""},{"number":3,"text":"You're not a male manipulator! \ud83d\ude07","meaning":"Great news, bestie, you're in the clear! You're the kind of guy who actually has<\/i> read The Bell Jar<\/i> or a handful of Virginia Woolf novels, and not just a guy who's said<\/i> you've read them to score points with the cuties at the art museum. Most of all, when you talk to a cutie, you actually listen and follow along, instead of nodding and waiting for your turn to speak. You're normal, genuine, and safe, and we salute you for your service. Just don't get too comfy; a case of the male manipulation can happen to even the most resolute feminist soldiers, so stay on your guard! \ud83e\udd40 And when in doubt, drop the matcha latte and drink some ice water.","edit_links":[{"url":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/Master-Manipulator"},{"url":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/Pick-Up-on-Manipulative-Behavior"}],"link_data":[{"title":"How to Recognize & Protect Yourself from a Master Manipulator","id":14312644,"url":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/Master-Manipulator","relUrl":"\/Master-Manipulator","image":"\/images\/thumb\/6\/6c\/Master-Manipulator-Step-19.jpg\/-crop-200-200-200px-Master-Manipulator-Step-19.jpg","alt":"How to Recognize & Protect Yourself from a Master Manipulator"},{"title":"How to Pick Up on Manipulative Behavior","id":901281,"url":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/Pick-Up-on-Manipulative-Behavior","relUrl":"\/Pick-Up-on-Manipulative-Behavior","image":"\/images\/thumb\/5\/5b\/LR22-D-Emily-Dismisses-Alan.png\/-crop-200-200-200px-LR22-D-Emily-Dismisses-Alan.png","alt":"How to Pick Up on Manipulative Behavior"}],"minimum":0,"image":"","image_url":""}]" class="quiz_results_data"/>\"Intuition<\/picture>","alt":"How Strong Is Your Intuition Quiz"},{"title":"How Normal Am I Quiz","id":14534135,"url":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/How-Normal-Am-I","relUrl":"\/How-Normal-Am-I","image":"\"How<\/picture>","alt":"How Normal Am I Quiz"},{"title":"Am I Selfish Quiz","id":14653411,"url":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/Am-I-Selfish","relUrl":"\/Am-I-Selfish","image":"\"Am<\/picture>","alt":"Am I Selfish Quiz"}],"number":1},{"text":"TikTok","result":"Interesting! In that case, check out these quizzes:","next_quizzes":[{"title":"Am I Sweet or Salty Quiz","id":14534137,"url":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/Sweet-or-Salty-Test","relUrl":"\/Sweet-or-Salty-Test","image":"\"Sweet<\/picture>","alt":"Am I Sweet or Salty Quiz"},{"title":"Ink Blot Test","id":14555569,"url":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/Ink-Blot-Test","relUrl":"\/Ink-Blot-Test","image":"\"Ink<\/picture>","alt":"Ink Blot Test"},{"title":"Am I an Alpha, Beta, or Omega Quiz","id":14755962,"url":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/Alpha-Beta-Omega-Test","relUrl":"\/Alpha-Beta-Omega-Test","image":"\"Alpha<\/picture>","alt":"Am I an Alpha, Beta, or Omega Quiz"}],"number":2}]}" class="quiz_questionnaire_data"/>

What is a master male manipulator?

What’s a male manipulator?
It’s all in a name—a guy who manipulates. More specifically, it’s a trend on TikTok and other social media where users are talking about a specific brand of dude that’s appeared recently, one who acts cool and cultured in order to get with girls, when really they’re just kinda slimy, dishonest, and of course, manipulative.

What does a male manipulator dress like?
There’s no dress code—any guy with any sense of style can be a creep. That said, there seems to be “uniform” among this specific type of guy. It’s chic and stylish, but in a grungy, “too-cool” way. Think oversized jeans, vintage band T-shirts, Vans skate shoes. Crucially, it’s all deceptively, finely tailored to make “high fashion.”

What is male manipulator music?
Male manipulator music is music that male manipulators are said to listen to. They’re usually retro acts, or sorta-hipster throwback musicians that carry with them a whole lot of baggage. Think Kurt Cobain of Nirvana, or Jeff Buckley, or Oasis. None of these musicians are “bad” or even problematic—they make good music!—but they’re the kind of troubled-soul artists that male manipulators are drawn to because they like to think of themselves in the same boat.

How do you tell if a man is a manipulator? We’ve given you the look, the personality, and the music taste, but that’s all more of a subculture or a meme than an actual threat. Real manipulators are serious dangers. They’ll try to make you feel guilty, act hurt or like the victim after they hurt you, lay on the charm to try and influence you, or even gaslight you into thinking something that’s not true.