6 Major Signs of Toxic People
You always look to surround yourself with good people, people you can trust and call friends. However, more often than not, you deal with people that hinder your emotions with subtle yet destructive attitudes.
Chances are you love these people, but you can’t stop thinking about how uncomfortable they make you feel.
I’m no one to tell you to avoid them. Nonetheless, I can help you spot some of the signs you might be missing and that you can directly address with them.
They are always better or worse
People who make this kind of comparison just undermine your achievements or problems.
The minute you say you got a promotion, after 3 years of hard work, they immediately make you question your competence by saying they got their promotion in their first year. Or maybe you feel bad because of a breakup and they undermine your feelings by talking about their most brutal separation.
Either way, their situation is always above yours.
They are never happy about you
These people often suffer from uncontrollable jealousy. They might be insecure about themselves even.
Say you’re on cloud nine since your partner said yes to your proposal. They don’t acknowledge your happiness and even bring up that ugly discussion you had with your partner a few years back. All it’s left is for them to say you should have broken up instead.
You feel emotionally exhausted when you meet them
It often happens when these people can stop throwing their emotions and problems at you.
They’re shrouded by negativity and unconsciously spread that onto you. Suddenly you start feeling the weight of their problems on top of yours, leading you to be moody and depressed all the time.
They bully your insecurities
There is no friendship with a little tease. You and your friends will always throw some jokes from time to time. However, there’s a fine line between an innocent joke and verbal abuse.
Body shaming tends to be one of the topics on the table. A simple yet consistent “nice belly you have there” can build up some serious body dysmorphic disorder.
They don’t support your ambitions
A more predominant trait of conservative parents, as they want their kids to avoid risks at all costs.
The moment you say you want to pursue a certain career or build your own business, they question if that’s even financially sustainable or state that you would be happier if you stick with the sad but stable corporate job you already have.
They make you feel guilty for not being altruistic
Yet again another trait is visible in more intimate relationships.
Egotistical people think their needs are always above others, so the moment you do something that only benefits you — even if it doesn’t affect anyone else — they make you feel guilty for not including them in your decision.
You land your dream job in a different country, they will question your feelings and make you feel responsible for their inability to deal with the distance.
Inspired by a fellow creator, I decided to challenge myself to publish 100 short-form articles within January. This is article number 28.
