Emotional wellness coach and self-described “Boundary Strategist” Tiye Chambers is drawing attention to the covert ways emotionally immature individuals shift their burdens onto others.
She is warning followers not to become what she calls a “receptacle of responsibility.”
The message, originally shared on Instagram, quickly gained traction with thousands of likes and comments. It features both a written reflection and a powerful video metaphor comparing emotional manipulation to children at a carnival who want to play games but don’t want to carry the prizes they win.
“They got to play the games they wanted and offload any responsibility that came as a consequence,” Chambers says in the clip. “Emotionally immature grown-ups do the same thing… They’ll make you feel guilty, like you’re insensitive for not helping them—when in actuality, they just want you to hold it.”
In her caption, Chambers urges followers to be mindful of manipulation tactics disguised as helplessness, writing:
“Red flags don’t always scream… sometimes they whisper.”
“Their accountability is not your responsibility.”
She encourages viewers who have ever carried burdens that were not theirs to drop a comment with the word “FILES,” prompting a direct message from her containing her Red Flag Files—a downloadable guide outlining five covert manipulation tactics often used to offload responsibility onto others emotionally.
The ‘Fool’s Carnival’ Analogy
In the viral video, Chambers uses vivid imagery to highlight how guilt can be weaponized:
“If you refuse to participate in the fool’s carnival, then you’re not even there to carry the fool’s poundry [burden] up.”
Her emotionally intelligent take on accountability has been widely praised by mental health advocates and life coaches alike, especially for its clarity in naming and describing patterns that many people experience but don’t always recognize as manipulation.
Empowering Empaths and Overfunctioners
Known as the “Empath’s Voice of Reason,” Chambers’ work centers on helping people with high emotional intelligence set healthy boundaries and avoid codependent traps. She regularly posts strategies for self-preservation, especially for those who are often pulled into the emotional dramas of others.
In offering the Red Flag Files as a free resource, Chambers continues to solidify her role as a go-to guide for those seeking a more peaceful, emotionally self-aware life.
“Be careful not to be a receptacle of responsibility,” she repeats at the beginning of the video. “In our minds, we know we shouldn’t carry other people’s stuff, but our emotions get manipulated into it.”
Her message is clear: awareness is power, and you don’t have to carry what isn’t yours.
