---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: If you are an approval addict, your…"
description: "\"If you are an approval addict, your behaviour is as easy to control as that of any other junkie. All a manipulator need do is a simple two-step process..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e53/harriet-b-braiker-59785_addict_if-you-are-an-approval-addict-your-behav_572867.png"
---

#  If you are an approval addict, your behaviour is as easy…

![“If you are an approval addict, your behaviour is as easy to control as that of any other junkie. All a manipulator need do is a simple two-step process: Give you what you crave, and then threaten to take it away. Every drug dealer in the world plays this game.” quote by Harriet B. Braiker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e53/harriet-b-braiker-59785_addict_if-you-are-an-approval-addict-your-behav_572867.png)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e53/harriet-b-braiker-59785_addict_if-you-are-an-approval-addict-your-behav_572867.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e53/harriet-b-braiker-59785_addict_if-you-are-an-approval-addict-your-behav_572867.png)

> “If you are an approval addict, your behaviour is as easy to control as that of any other junkie. All a manipulator need do is a simple two-step process: Give you what you crave, and then threaten to take it away. Every drug dealer in the world plays this game.”

[Harriet B. Braiker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harriet-b-braiker/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Approval addiction is likened to addiction, where manipulators use reward and threat to control behavior.

**In simple terms:** Approval addicts are controlled like junkies through reward and threat.

Key Takeaway

Identify and break the reward‑threat cycle.

Themes

addiction control manipulation

Mood

cautionary insightful

Type

psychological self‑help

When to use this quote

- personal relationships
- workplace dynamics
- self‑esteem building

Key Concepts

behavioral psychology dependency power dynamics

Questions to Reflect On

- What signs indicate you are being manipulated?
- How can you assert autonomy without losing needed approval?

A Different Perspective

Control tactics can be subtle and hard to detect.

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[Approval](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/approval/) [Behaviour](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/behaviour/) [Drug](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/drug/) [Games](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/games/) [Giving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/giving/) [Habits](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/habits/) [Manipulator](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/manipulator/) [Play](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/play/) [Process](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/process/) [Wine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wine/) [World](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world/)

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[Israelmore Ayivor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/israelmore-ayivor/)

## More by Harriet B. Braiker

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Browse all 634 Addict quotes

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