Control (Manure Happens)
A manipulative tactic where the narcissist paves the way to control decision-making, all while appearing helpful.
"I'm making a way for you so you can make your decision."
What’s Happening Here
NarcyNarc appears to be helping—but by subtly steering your direction through control tactics, she’s influencing your outcome before you choose it. It’s a textbook display of manipulation masked as support.
The “manure” isn’t just a mess — it’s emotional wreckage: gaslighting, lies, confusion tactics, , half-truths, drama, and the stink of dirty looks. And now, she’s putting on a show of “clearing the way” as if she didn’t shovel that mess into your life to begin with.
This isn’t accountability — it’s image control. Narcy only bothers to move the mess when someone might notice.
- She reframes her own manufactured chaos as an opportunity to look helpful.
- She expects recognition for cleaning up what she caused.
- She removes only enough to manage how things look, not to make amends.
Visitors are coming — which triggers her impression management. That’s the only reason she’s suddenly motivated. This is about appearances, not healing. She doesn’t want people stepping in the truth.
And while you might feel a moment of hope — a classic intermittent reinforcement effect — remember who parked the manure truck there in the first place.
If someone only shows remorse when there’s an audience, it’s not remorse — it’s rehearsal. It’s performance cleanup… with applause expected.
“I cleared the way! Just for You!”
Key Takeaway
Control disguised as help isn’t generosity — it’s theater. When Narcy “clears the way,” she’s not removing obstacles for your good, she’s staging a performance to protect her image. Real support empowers you to choose. Manipulative control rigs the choice before you even step forward. If the cleanup only happens when others are watching, you’re not witnessing growth — you’re witnessing a dress rehearsal.
Continue the Learning
This case file shows how Narcy creates the very chaos she later “rescues” everyone from. After manufacturing a problem, she re-enters the scene with exaggerated helpfulness, spotlighting her impression management and image crafting. The cleanup becomes a performance—designed to win admiration, erase accountability, and rewrite how the moment will be remembered.
To explore the full Manure Happens Cluster and understand how this “mess → hero → praise” cycle repeats across different situations, download the Academic-Adjacent reference below.
Download: Manure Happens Cluster (PDF)
This PDF expands the exact sequence used in this comic:
Manufactured Chaos →
Performance-Based Help →
Image Reinforcement →
Admiration Harvest
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“A narcissist doesn’t hand you freedom — they hand you a leash and call it support. The path they clear is only wide enough to keep you walking where they want you to go.” — Site Creator