Watch Out For These 6 Types Of Toxic People

Jan 04, 2019

Research into the human brain demonstrates that being insulted or criticized results in negative emotions that are five times as strong as when you receive a compliment. Inevitably, there seems to be at least one person at work, in your family or in your routine activities that routinely insults, criticizes, complains or otherwise delivers negative messages.

Whenever you can, steer clear of these six toxic personality types.

It is typical behavior for a young child to exclaim, "Not me!" when asked who made the mess. You don't expect this from an adult. People who are unable to accept responsibility for their mistakes are folks who should be avoided. These people blame others, and chances are that you will fall victim to them sooner or later. They burden you with their problems and drain your energy, making it difficult for you to deal with your own errors.

Their negative influence is frustrating and depressing. Try to avoid these people at all costs. If you deal with one at work, documenting your actions in order to demonstrate that you were not the cause of the problem is your best line of defense.

Some people seem to sabotage themselves at every turn. This toxic personality type is doing it for the attention. Negative attention serves their needs as much as positive attention. The self-destructive person wants your pity, sympathy and attention. They get defensive when you point out that their own lapse of judgement created the problem.

People who are self-destructive do not want to change their ways. They will cause you endless frustration and stress. If you attempt to help them, they will simply find new ways to sabotage their new path. Do your best to keep these people out of your life.

Every crowd seems to include at least one critic. You may find a person who always points out the errors of your ways. One day, the person tells you that your clothes don't match or your desk is messy. The next, the person points out that you could stand to lose a few pounds or your hair needs a visit to the salon. This type of person will wear down your self-esteem in a hurry.

Their rude comments might linger in your mind, causing you to needlessly focus on their words instead of what you know is correct. If a so-called friend is quick to criticize you and points out the smallest of mistakes or issues, that person might not be a true friend. Avoid these people and spend your time associating with people who have a more positive nature.

You might encounter a person who constantly wants you to feel bad for them. Their sorry lot in life seems to never end. Some emotional vampires have a litany of bad remarks about other people. There are other emotional vampires who will attempt to revise your opinion about anything and everything, even if your opinion on the matter has nothing to do with how they live their life.

The common thread between these people is a feeling of dread and fatigue after interaction with them. They wear you out emotionally and cause you undue stress. Try your best to avoid these people.

Instead of being happy for you when you earn a deserved award or have a bit of good luck, some people feel jealous. This toxic personality type minimizes your accomplishments in order to make themselves feel better. They chalk up your hard work and skill to the luck of the draw or someone else's favoritism.

You don't have to spend time with somebody who can't accept your rewards for a job well-done or your occasional spate of good luck. A good friend does not make you feel guilty for sharing your happiness. Feel free to stop interacting with those people who brush off your accomplishments in order to build themselves up.

Some people work hard to make themselves look good on the outside. Unfortunately, their image is only a thin veneer. On the inside, these people do not know themselves. They also don't want you to know their true selves. This personality type wants you to see them through a pair of rose-colored glasses, which filters out the bad and only allows you to see their superficial traits.

They do not want to make a true connection with you. This personality type is not worth your time. When you cannot make a real connection with a person, it is not possible to develop a true friendship or partnership in any way.

How many of these personality types do you deal with? How do you deal with the toxic people in your life? Which particular type of toxic person drains your energy? Do you think these tips will help you handle these personality types in a better way? Let us know in the comments below.

Our content is created to the best of our knowledge, yet it is of general nature and cannot in any way substitute an individual consultation by your doctor. Your health is important to us!