Vague Critiques, Hollow Guidance, Fake Techniques, Blind Reliance

There’s a pattern I’ve noticed more than once, and it never fails to frustrate: someone throws a personal accusation your way, refuses to clarify, and leaves you in complete limbo. On the surface, it might seem like advice, a warning, or even concern—but dig a little deeper, and it’s a subtle power move.

The formula is simple: Accuse your opponent through a vague critique or claim. Refuse  to clarify your claim if asked for specifics. Leave them confused, unsure how to respond, and questioning themselves.

What’s happening here isn’t accidental. The vagueness is deliberate: an attempt to assert authority without accountability, letting the other person weigh their critique over you while offering no way to engage meaningfully. The effect is immediate: frustration, withdrawal, and that sinking feeling that your effort, attempt to engage, understand, or connect, aren’t welcome.

This behavior has a name in psychology: gaslighting, and stonewalling. It’s manipulative, passive-aggressive, and exhausting. Yet it comes wrapped in a shiny wrapper of "guidance" or "concern", which makes it all the more frustrating.

This is no way to learn, and no way to build a relationship. Real growth, understanding, or collaboration cannot happen when one side holds all the cards and the other is left guessing. Genuine dialogue requires clarity, respect, and reciprocity—none of which exist in this pattern.

So yes, it’s frustrating. Yes, it kills your engagement. And maybe the only sane response is: step back and protect your energy from someone who’s more interested in asserting power than actually connecting, teaching, or creating something meaningful together.