Believe it or not, mind games are an essential part of human communication. We all play mind games from time to time, but there are some widespread mind games that men play in order to gain control of women's thoughts, feelings, and emotions. It sounds silly; why do guys play games when it's usually completely unnecessary? Not all mind games are harmful, but they can be if people do such things in order to turn the situation to their advantage. Many women ask themselves why men play games, usually only after they fall victim to them. There are a couple of reasons for that, and we will cover the six most frequent ones.
1. He is afraid of being hurt
Not all men are courageous and ready for action. I know a lot of men who try to seduce women and gain control over them just to prevent the same thing from happening to them. Let me give you an example: you get his message, and you get so hyped, but then he leaves you on seen and replies two days after that. They want to ensure that they can be happy even without you because if they show their emotions, they will become vulnerable. The problem isn't invulnerability; it's the fear of being hurt. The main cause of any detrimental action is mostly fear. Why do men play mind games? Because they're afraid of emotional pain, and it's completely understandable. In situations like these, you somehow need to find out if he truly likes you. You can do that by not replying to him as fast as you've done before. If he gets scared of losing you and starts spamming you with messages, that means that he only tries to hide his emotions.
2. Somebody has hurt him badly before
It's hard to trust people after you get screwed over by someone you have trusted so much. At the core of his behavior are fear and suspicion. Maybe he wants to be completely sure that you indeed are to be trusted, so he tries to test you. For example, if he hides something from you, and you find out from other people. There is a possibility that he wants to show you that he doesn't trust you yet. Again, try to find out a little more about his past, and don't get mad at him if he acts this way. The only thing you have to do here is to assure him that he can relax when he's by your side. Offer your help whenever you think he needs it, compliment him, and just make him feel nice when you're around. He will let his guard down for sure.
3. He wants you to chase him
Arrogance corrupts both men and women, and it's one of the worst personality traits. How to know if someone wants you to chase him? He constantly postpones your date, tries to make fun of you when you are in a larger group of people, or flirts with other girls and wants you to know about it. This is, by the way, really easy to figure out. If you find out that he texts many girls apart from you, that's it. He wants you to be his fangirl. I know, it's something that would make anyone furious, but the best option for you is just to ignore that guy. You don't need someone who doesn't see your worth, and the biggest punishment for him will not be your revenge, but his failure.
4. He has low self-esteem
If you ask yourself why men play mind games, you can find an answer just by thinking about their behavior. People with low self-esteem, for example, tend to boast about their looks, accomplishments, and try to highlight them. Nonetheless, they tend to have doubts about themselves. If your guy really believes in what he says, he will never have the urge to repeat it over and over again to everyone around him. If he tries to make you feel less important than him and show you that he is the prize, my advice is not to give him attention. Don't feed his ego because he will get even worse. Don't judge him or be hostile. Deep inside he might be suffering a lot. Try to talk to him about his self-confidence, but don't expect that he will be so eager to talk about it. Keep in mind that allowing him to play these kinds of games will ruin everything between you two.
5. They just love to play harmless mind games
Some mind games are not harmful; they can be very interesting and witty if a person has no bad intentions. There are plenty of men out there who adore playing games, such as making you read between the lines or being secretive while making a joke out of it. If you easily see through his mind games, that means that he has no intention of hurting you. Otherwise, he would try to hide or deny everything he does. Men like this are usually smart and funny, so you can play with him as well. Make him read between the lines too, and he will be really intrigued about it. Don't worry. If he lets you see through him, he certainly has no bad intentions, and wordplay is just his thing.
6. They think they need to be in charge
Throughout history, men were usually the ones who made all the decisions. The times have changed, but sometimes it takes time for people to change their mindset. If a guy indirectly tries to tell you what to do and how to behave, then he tries to be your commander. Since he probably knows that you won't allow it, he tries to act nice, but tries to influence you by making you feel guilty for the things you do. If you constantly feel suffocated and guilty, just do one simple thing: do whatever you want to do. No one has the right to alter your decisions.
Summary
At the end of the day, we can conclude that fear is our worst enemy. Most mind games that men play are mostly because of fear, so don't judge them. Of course, you shouldn't allow such behavior, and you should never give in to someone else's control, no matter how much you like them. It will only drain you and make you feel bad.