Manipulation is a powerful tool that twists the thoughts and actions of others. The scary thing is you probably don't even know you are a manipulator.

There are times when you control a situation or argument more than others do and vice versa. When you feel yourself heading to the manipulation zone, conflict really amplifies.

Spot the toxic manipulation preventing your relationships from succeeding. Reflect on these five things all women do to manipulate the ones they love.

1. Belittling someone's manhood

You may not realize you are doing it, but talking down to your husband gives you more control over the relationship than you should have. Although the healthy 50:50 ratio may not be attained as often as you may hope, a 100:0 ratio is definitely not right.

A man's manhood is often defined by how much money he makes and the success of his relationship with his wife. Tear down one of these things, and you essentially manipulate him into doing anything so he can regain all that matters to him.

2. Refusing to take responsibility

I know - the kids didn't get a nap so you are cranky. Your husband forgot to pick up another gallon of milk because he said it wasn't on the grocery list. Your mother is mad at you for not calling her back like you promised, but she should know how busy you are.

If you think I am praising you for your whining, you are wrong. These are horrible complaints used too often. When are you going to take responsibility for your own mistakes? You are blaming your mother, husband and even children for your problems when in fact you are just too stubborn to admit you aren't perfect.

3. Staying mad for power

Why are you still mad after he has apologized to you over and over? You're fine now. He has apologized and you do believe him, but you likely choose to stay mad at him until he is groveling, buying you gifts and showering you with compliments - until you cannot possibly think of anything else he can do for you.

This has manipulation written all over it. Don't mistreat anyone for the upper hand or milk them for all they have.

4. Destroying when trying to protect

You are trying to hang out with an old friend, but she bails on you for someone else. Instead of talking about the situation like adults, you lash out and make her feel terrible about her choice in friends. You claim you are protecting her, but in reality you are trying to prevent anything from getting in the way of you two. The same thing can happen in a marriage as well.

The ability to make choices is a healthy aspect of any relationship. Feeling forced to be a part of a relationship is not the way to go.

5. Pointing out other's flaws to boost self-esteem

If there was such a thing as a perfect body, then that person would be gosh-darn lucky. But, there is no such thing as the perfect body, no matter what the world tries to say. Too often woman critique others to make themselves feel better.

This is manipulative thinking because it is masking your insecurity until the next time you feel down on yourself. This is a vicious cycle that needs to stop.

If you noticed yourself reflecting on your relationships while reading this, then take steps to repair those damaged relationships. Stop being manipulative. Once you do, your relationships will be stronger than you ever imagined possible.