7 Characteristics of Toxic People
Human beings are naturally sociable. The need for interaction is not only a source of well-being, but also a potential source of some our most important learning moments.
We use our observational abilities to face the world and make our first decisions. It is the origin of our development as people.
Nevertheless, people don’t only influence us when we first meet them, and neither do they only influence us through their actions. They also have the potential to influence us with their words. Words that can awaken a dormant motivation, words that can calm us during the most overwhelming moments; not to mention the ones that are deceitful and that stick us like daggers when we turn our backs, or those that whisper in our ears and make us fall in love.
Ultimately, the words that we hear have, on many occasions, the honor of making us bigger or the misfortune of making us smaller. Because of this, the people that use them are also obligated to know their power and use them with the responsibility that their use demands.
Those who only focus on the first part and use them to cause harm, trigger fears, cultivate bitterness, and produce tears for no reason, or for no reason other than to benefit themselves, are toxic people; the ones who unnecessarily burden their hearts with negative problems, habits, and attitudes. They are like p oison in a bottle that they share with anyone who crosses their path, under the pretense of their own relief.
Learn to identify these 7 characteristics that will help you detect toxic people so that you may prevent them from harming or hindering your own personal growth. Discovering them early on lets us step back and observe them, just like the way we observe to learn in life.
What are the 7 characteristics of toxic people?
1. They talk constantly and excessively about themselves, forgetting about the people around them and thereby unconsciously feeding their ego.
2. Their speech is full of complaints and pessimism. I don’t know about you, but when I come across a person who always looks at the negative side of things, my heart subconsciously presents me with two options: show them that life is more than just this pessimistic view through real life examples, or run away in an emotional stampede. What about you?
3. If you have someone around you who immediately assumes the role of the victim, tries to constantly be the center of attention, or always has to be noticed, then it’s pretty likely that you have found yourself a toxic person.
4. Having the attitude that the whole world is against you, not stopping to analyze the situations that you create yourself or that occur all around you is very similar to the previous point about “playing the victim.” Being that way causes you to hold yourself back, attempting to control your own existence and your heart. And most importantly, you certainly won’t enjoy a healthy conscience.
All of this will culminate in you failing to realize that you have a harmful attitude towards the people around you, causing them possible harm in turn. If you know someone with this characteristic, I recommend you try to separate yourself from that person.
5. Luckily, I quickly realized the negative role tht envy, jealousy, and pride play in other people’s lives as well as my own. You’ll agree that these characteristics are all like emotional vampires that rob energy from other people. Toxic people base their lives on these vices every day.
6. People with a toxic attitude are unhappy because their way of thinking keeps them from living in peace and harmony with others and with their surroundings. We are all responsible for how we live, and as a consequence, we have the resources necessary to change our attitude and enjoy more happiness in our lives.
7. The last point, and the one that brings me to personal reflection and awareness: a person who feels envy will not be happy with having what other people have, because internally, they are always aware of their own shortcomings. And believe me, when you live around someone like that, your days are very unpleasant, emotionally speaking.
I hope that you can enjoy an environment grounded in friendship and people full of love who treat you the way you deserve: with respect, support, and unconditional love.
To conclude, I would love to share a secret with you: the attitudes that are responsible for unhappiness can be corrected, broken, and undone, overcome with the power of will and by making a conscious effort to be happy and to share that happiness with the world.
