Signs of a toxic person

TRANSCRIPT:

We all have people in our lives who give us a hard time sometimes. Maybe it's because you disagree, don't get along or simply dislike each other. However, difficult people aren't the same as toxic ones. A toxic person is a negative influence in your life who exploits you, and drains your energy with their needless drama, leaving you emotionally exhausted. If you’re not careful, a toxic relationship can rob you of all of your happiness, motivation, and self-esteem over time. 

To help you figure out if there's someone in your life who's toxic for you, here are six telltale signs of a toxic person. 

1. They abuse you

Whether it's physically or emotionally. Abusing another person in any way is never acceptable. No matter how often they say “they'll change”, it's always best to cut ties with someone once abuse starts to happen, especially if it's intentional. Based on a study by Mor and Kirkham, abusers will often wreak havoc on their victims lives because the lower the victim self-esteem, the more suggestible and easier to exploit they become.

 

2. They're manipulative 

They are compulsive liars who are incredibly charming. For example, they insistent incident didn't happen when it did or they insist that they did or said something when they didn't. Have you ever met someone like this? If yes, do you often end up questioning your own sanity because they're so good at it? This is also known as "gaslighting," they do so because it's an extremely devious way for them to get out of trouble. 

3. They exploit you 

Based on a 2015 study, by Groth and others showing toxic people Compassion and sympathy only makes you a prime target for them to latch on to. They exploit your kindness and use your good nature against you. They pretend to care about you so they can use you. They look out for themselves and only have their best interest in mind, but will often demand that you prioritize them and attempt at their needs. 

4. They take things out on you 

Toxic people often treat those around them like psychological punching bags. Whenever they're faced with a problem, they tend to deal with it by taking it out on others and projecting their negative feelings on someone else. for example they put you down by treating you with hurtful sarcasm and thinly veiled judgment so that they feel better about themselves. A toxic person will prey on your insecurities, and make you feel bad about yourself because as the saying goes, "Misery loves company."

5. They never compromise

Have you ever dealt with people who have an unhealthy desire to be right all the time and only want to do things their way? It can be exhausting just to be around them, isn't it? They may believe that they're right about everything and thus will often try to intimidate and control you into doing things their way. They refuse to hear you out or see things from your point of view and get upset with you when you don't follow their demands. This kind of toxic behavior can trap you in a vicious cycle of frustration and powerlessness against someone who simply can't be reasoned with. 

6. They always play the victim card 

Toxic people enjoy claiming the role of the victim, because they don't want to take responsibility and accountability for anything. To them, nothing is ever their fault. Whether it's something they do or fail to do it's always someone else's fault. They have double standards: if they get mad, it's your fault for disappointing them. but if you get upset, it's your fault for having unreasonable expectations. In the end, while all of us can be problematic at times there's a difference, between being flawed and being toxic. 

Do any of these signs remind you of someone in your life? If so, what do you plan to do next? What other topics do you like to talk about? 

Remember, it's not your job to try and save or change them. Love yourself enough to spend the time or energy on What makes you happy. 

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