7 Types Of Toxic Personalities

7 Types Of Toxic Personalities

Last update: 05 October, 2016

Whether we believe it or not, we are surrounded by people with toxic personalities. People who make us feel bad even if we are not to blame, people who use us, people who hold us at their mercy without us realizing it. Many of these personalities are familiar to us, but we are not aware of their toxic consequence.

Below, we will show you the seven most common types of toxic personalities that we have around us each day. This way, you can identify them and avoid getting hurt by them.

“Many times we allow gossipy, jealous, authoritative, psychotic, arrogant, and mediocre people, overall toxic people, to enter into our most intimate circle of friends. We let in the wrong people, the people who constantly evaluate what we say and do, or what we do not say or do.”

-Bernardo Stamateas-

People Looking Through Key Hole

The jealous type

A jealous person will always try to look for allies. They poison others with their words and bad thoughts. This type of person is not happy. They always want what others have and they will try to boycott others.

It is easy to detect the jealous type. You can see them coming. The important thing is knowing how to get away from them, not letting them influence you with their toxic thoughts. We have to try to ignore them.

No two people think the same way about another person and we have to understand that. Do not let anyone influence how you think about another person.

The authoritarian type

The authoritarian person tends to be a boss. Someone who has others under their yoke. They tend to be extremely insecure people and as a result, they incite fear in their subordinates to gain control and power. But it does not end here. An authoritarian person ends up humiliating, threatening, and imposing their will.

No one should tolerate this, not even if this is your boss. There is currently a law that deals with workplace abuse. If you find yourself in a situation like this, do not be afraid to take measures. Going to work can turn into a veritable torture.

The manipulative type

A manipulative person is difficult to detect. The manipulative type is a toxic personality that can go unnoticed for a long time, never being found out. They present themselves as friendly and complacent. They have a great ability to empathize when it benefits them. But when you know them better, there are certain things you have to avoid with them.

To start with, never be honest with a manipulative person because they will turn it back on you. They will feel attacked and manage to make you feel guilty through their sincerity. As such, you will be the only guilty party and they will make you feel like this. Even if you know that they are not right, you will end up watching what you say so you do not have to feel bad afterwards.

Manipulators play dirty and they tend to lie. If you have a problem, theirs will be worse. Finally, they have the gift of infecting their surroundings. If they are sad, everyone around them will become sad.

Woman Pulling Man's Mask Off

The pessimistic type

As their very name implies, pessimists see everything in a negative way. They are people who are affected by everything and they give up very easily. This negativity attracts more negativity and thus it turns into a vicious circle. They present themselves as defenseless victims of the world. They constantly complain about their past, their present, and their probable future.

We must distance ourselves from this type of person. No matter how hard you try to make them see that everything is not as bad as it seems, they will argue the opposite and manage to feed off of your positivity to feel good about themselves. The consequence is that you will not feel so good. These people are also known as “emotional vampires.”

The sociopathic type

This is one of the most dangerous toxic personalities. They are impulsive people who do not establish emotional limits and do not feel remorse when they hurt others. Ambitious people who achieve their goals without caring who they destroy along the way. They are incapable of saying “I am sorry.”

Sociopaths are people who give off a charming appearance, but will tell you everything that you want to hear. They tend to take great interest in the person before them, asking them lots of questions to elicit information that they will store to use against them later. With this, they will lie and deceive to get what they want. They will feign emotions that they do not feel. This is the opposite of an empathetic person.

How can we recognize a sociopath? We have to be very observant. Given that they do not feel emotions, we have to observe their face, their look and facial muscles. If they focus their eyes on you and do not move even a single muscle on their face, be careful: they are probably manipulating you.

The discrediting type

The discrediting type enjoys undervaluing, manipulating, and emotionally destabilizing others. This causes the other person to show insecurity and depend on their opinions. They will act like they are a great friend, but they will use everything that you tell them to discredit you in front of others at the appropriate moment. In this way, they pretend to be interested in what they are being told. They play with the element of surprise.

Man's Ideas Brainwashing Other

The neurotic type

The neurotic person tends to be insecure. For this reason, they will try to attain a good social position to make up for their low self esteem. They cannot bear for anyone to know more than they do about something, which is why they will always try to be the center of attention.

Due to these kinds of insecurities, which they have suffered since childhood and could not resolve, the neurotic type develops perfectionistic, conflictive, selfish, and childish behavior. This leads them to control other people. Furthermore, their mood swings make it impossible for them to live with others.

Any of these toxic personalities can infect those who are around them through their negative energy. Becoming aware of those around us is also important for our health. The trick is anticipating this and choosing who we want to surround ourselves with, avoiding those toxic personalities that can hurt us.


This text is provided for informational purposes only and does not replace consultation with a professional. If in doubt, consult your specialist.