Be a better person?

From reading your question, I would suggest learning (teaching yourself) that you can't always get what you want/you can't always have your way and to not manipulate to make it happen. Will help you. It will take practice and a whole lot of self-control and self-awareness.

It is one thing to have the power to turn another's will in your favor, it is another feat altogether, however, to have the willpower to refuse to use such power.

well OP, I think that you, on some level, ARE doing it "on purpose." I DO NOT say that to accuse you of "intentionally deceiving" anyone, either. A contradiction it would seem, but in all reality, it is not paradoxical in nature, as "on purpose" can refer to anything formed by habitual practice over and over again. For example, when you stand up, are you "willing" your legs to pick you up "on purpose?" No. You're not. ANYMORE << THAT PART IS SO important to note: the usage of the word "anymore" because, there was a time, when you were a small child, a "toddler" (so aptly named), that you did have to consciously "put your feet down and stand up" so to speak. So, the difference I'm attempting to hint at is this: Are you just repeating a learned behavior (the "toddler effect"), or are you, in fact, INTENTIONALLY LYING to the people you're around? You, and ONLY you, can answer that honestly!!

-Tom

It takes a lot of strength and maturity to recognize your faults and weaknesses, so just admitting that you want to change is proof that you're already starting to! Next time you catch yourself in the act of manipulating, take a few seconds to assess whether getting what you want from someone is worth the guilt you feel afterwards. Chances are, you'll realize it's not worth it.
I believe that inside everyone there is a good person. It's not a matter of becoming a 'better person', but rather a matter of nurturing that good person inside you, and letting them shine through.
Nobody's perfect, and everyone makes bad decisions sometimes. But you have the power to recognize when you make bad decisions, and use what you've learned from them to make better choices in the future! :)

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