Maybe the difference between creative manipulation and its ‘sinister’ sibling lies in what it is that is being manipulated. We work with ('handle') physical materials, or ideas, or (in my case) photographic images, to express ourselves or meet a need. But when we manipulate other sentient beings, we are treating them as objects rather than as subjects with their own vision and agency.
Maybe the difference between creative manipulation and its ‘sinister’ sibling lies in what it is that is being manipulated. We work with ('handle') physical materials, or ideas, or (in my case) photographic images, to express ourselves or meet a need. But when we manipulate other sentient beings, we are treating them as objects rather than as subjects with their own vision and agency.