I agree with Sailor John. Who knows? I think that you are talking about a character trait vs anything else. My husband is clean and sober x's almost 5 years but he still attempts manipulation a whole lot of the time.
The question is....am I falling for it? Do I allow myself to be manipulated? Do I even want to be around someone that behaves that way?
I'll turn the question around....how long does it take for someone to stop allowing themselves to be manipulated and to continue being around someone that behaves that way?