More to many comments: why does manipulative need to be bad, or negative?

The main trigger is a lack of attention from parents in childhood leading to a lack of emotional depth. Such a person may overcome that lack of emotional depth, or emotional intelligence, with logical empathy. I feel like people are way too dichotomous here about something that is far more complex in spectrum. Why hate on people for what amounts to their upbringing. Measure people by their actions. The ability to manipulate, is not itself a negative act. It is in fact a philosopher.