When talking about a toxic person, does anyone come to your mind? What are the things they do that you consider toxic? If you’ve met someone who seems friendly but you’re skeptical about who they really are, this post will tell you the signs of a toxic person and some ways how you can deal with them.
What Is A Toxic Person?
When you spend time with someone only to realize that they’re difficult to be with, you may be dealing with a toxic person. These people often are the cause of or trigger chaos in your once ordinary life. As a result, you are left with more stress and bad days which may even take a toll on your mental health.
Toxic people may have caused negativities in your life, but there may be a deeper reason why they behave that way. Sometimes, these people deal with problems in their personal lives that they take their anger out on other people. Even if it’s not in their intention to upset the people around them, their mood somehow affects their surroundings and they may not be aware of it.
6 Signs Of A Toxic Person
Whether we like it or not, some toxic people may be one of our closest friends or relatives. If you are looking for ways how you can manage your relationships with them, look out for their specific toxic trait below and learn how you can deal with them.
1. Their opinion is the right opinion.
Opinions are not facts, but toxic people will claim that what they say is always the right thing. They dismiss other people’s opinions and ideas and are too arrogant to consider that they may be wrong. Many times, they see themselves as the smartest person in the room so they always try to contest anyone who doesn’t share the same views as they do.
When dealing with this type of person, always try to keep the conversation calm and two-way. Listen intently to what they’re saying and present your counterpoint of view without sounding defensive or threatening. That way, they may be able to understand that their idea may have some faults and may consider yours valid eventually.
2. It’s always about them.
In conversations, they would either dominate the topic or interrupt whoever is speaking. You would then realize that they’re already talking about themselves and even showing off when it’s not really necessary. These types of people are the narcissistic type who are entitled and act like they’re special among the group.
If you find yourself dealing with a narcissist, you can try giving them constructive feedback about their behavior. Some narcissists may not even be aware of the way they’re acting so having a friend to remind them may ease the situation.
3. They make up stories to look good.
White lies are one thing, but a constant chain of them is another. When you are surrounded with people you always catch lying, you’d eventually develop a sixth sense of lie detection. Whether in person or a social media friend, their constant pretending can cause a strain on your relationship as you will always have doubts about them.
People like this will often lie, and so you have to expect that from them anytime. If you are good friends, you can try reminding them how much you appreciate them for who they are. Hopefully, it may help them realize that they don’t need to make up stuff or lie about themselves to fit in other people’s standards.
4. They decide your decisions.
You’d often find this trait in an older family member. For every major or even little decision in your life, they would feel the need to interfere and require you to do what they said. They dictate the things you do and say and how you should think about something.
This kind of person or family member often only looks after you but tends to go overboard. While you don’t need to prove yourself to people, you can show them that you are matured enough to decide for yourself. Remind them that you can still ask them for help but should let you think and act independently to help you grow as an individual.
5. Your happiness upsets them.
You just shared the good news with your friend but noticed they don’t react the way you expect them to. A toxic friend like this one can’t seem to be happy for you or anyone else. Sometimes, it may be because they are envious of your good news because they feel like they’re not getting any.
You may want to talk to a friend whom you feel is jealous of your life. Try not to confront them in a way that you would seem arrogant. Instead, state some of the good things you notice in their lives and be happy for them. They may eventually see that their life is not as bad as they think and that they should be happy for you as well.
6. They always have something negative to say.
Toxic people focus on the negative things in life. When you have a friend like that, it will affect your aura and feel negative emotions as well. They struggle to find positivity and so they also discourage other people to find it. Even if they have problems, they would sometimes just ramble about it without putting a little effort in coming up with solutions
If you don’t like seeing them feel negative all the time but still care about them, you can try helping them find solutions to their problems. If they turned out to be suffering from depression, you can help them find a therapist they can go to.
Final Thoughts
In life, it is important that you surround yourself with people who won’t make you feel stressed for a long time. Relationships with family and friends are still essential and you can help them overcome their toxic behavior if you want to. But also know when to let go and cut off negative people in your life. After all, you are still responsible for your mental health to achieve the peace of mind you deserve.
What is the most toxic personality trait you have seen in a person? Share your experience when you share this article.
