Looking for a word ...

[Gondorian]

Imagine this scenario:

Person A has low confidence, struggling to be productive and reluctance to continue, and can't see a future worth working towards. Person B does their best to encourage Person A, convincing them it is worth trying, and together the two reach a point where Person A is feeling confident and being productive. Person B then decides to give up on Person A and actually take them away from what they've been built up to do.

What's that called?

Simpler version: Person B is nice to Person A for a long time, only then to do the complete opposite later, showing none of the niceness anymore.

Mental torture? Sadism? Is there a word for when you build someone up to later knock them down, showing there was no compassion there all along?

It's what psychopaths do, isn't it?

[Gondorian]

I should clarify that this has zero to do with Shadow Era or anyone here. I just really need to know the word, if there is one.

[Airact]

That's what came to my mind when I read that. Don't know what the exact term for it is, though.

Might be completely wrong as well.

[a player]

Perhaps it depends somewhat upon what person B's intentions are.

If person B does the whole thing with knowledge aforethought it is duplicitous or even Machiavellian behavior.

If Person B just randomly shifts gears or changes direction it is more like schizophrenic behavior.

[Gondorian]

IMO, when B's later decision is cold and calculated, planned for a number of weeks, you have to assume there was no real care before. You can't suddenly go from really kind to heartless unless the kindness wasn't real.

Person A then gets a double whammy. The bad thing that happens and also the shocking truth that they fell for fake kindness. The latter is worse IMHO. Can lead to all kinds of trust issues.

[SamuelJ]

This reminds me of a drama queen. Person B gets joy from helping Person A, but when the drama is gone, so is Person B.

[Veles]

I think thats called being a selfish d*ck.

One possible reason for such behavior from person B is that he/she is feeding its own ego and is mitigating own low self esteem by helping person A. At the time they may really think they are doing that with best intentions. In reality reasons are quite selfish because they put themselves in position of a "savior"or "protector", thus believing they are in better spot and superior to person A who is in a need for help. But at the point where person A rises above their problems person B is left without "food" for his/her own ego and confidence boost opening doors to envy because while A did ultimately resolve problems person B did not. Instead of sinking in to its own low self esteem B turns hostile as another way to hide truth from self.

[Kip thorp]

Passive agressive
or
dismissive
or
Con man. As person B might have planned to dump person A since the beginning.

Unreliable, two faced, backstabber, Doberman, turncoat.

But the behavior is absolutely passive agressive.

Narrsasistic if person B gained anything form it ( even if it only a feeling of screwing someone over )

Part of a phsycopaths many issues, but certainly not all.


Yes Veles nailed it as well! And nija'd me! A dick, a stupid dick who decided that it was better for him/ her to go another path. Even if that ment screwing person A.

[Gondorian]

I think thats called being a selfish d*ck.

One possible reason for such behavior from person B is that he/she is feeding its own ego and is mitigating own low self esteem by helping person A. At the time they may really think they are doing that with best intentions. In reality reasons are quite selfish because they put themselves in position of a "savior"or "protector", thus believing they are in better spot and superior to person A who is in a need for help. But at the point where person A rises above their problems person B is left without "food" for his/her own ego and confidence boost opening doors to envy because while A did ultimately resolve problems person B did not. Instead of sinking in to its own low self esteem B turns hostile as another way to hide truth from self.

Ah yeah, that makes sense as a possible motivation for such behaviour. That kind of thing shows up in most American high school movies. Popular girl/girls befriend the awkward new kid, build her up and then later slam that kid in the face with "you really thought we liked you? As if? You are a big loser and we tricked you. Ha ha". Come to think of it, I saw it in a movie yesterday!

Regardless of the motivation, the damage to Person A's psyche from the ultimately cold behaviour ("I thought you were my friend!") can be huge.

Can you ever really know if it was planned all along?

On the flip side, what If Person B is actually kind and the latter action was misinterpreted as evil? Maybe there was some ultimately cruel to be kind going on? Hmm. Interesting stuff, right?

[Unruler]

Bummer.