People come and go in our lives on a regular basis, toxic people or otherwise. We deal with family, friends, co-workers and the like. It’s no mystery that the people who are in our lives can affect how we feel, from our moods to simply the way we think and view our day to day. Not every relationship, be it your friends or otherwise are created equal. Some friends can bring positivity and joy into your life, While others simply make you feel frustrated and exhausted. 

In this helpful read we are going to discuss what toxic friendships can look like by identifying those typical red flags. Let’s get started!

Are the toxic people in your life constantly surrounded by drama?

Toxic people tend to attract toxic situations as well as other toxic people. This will follow them just about anywhere they go and if they happen to be around you during one of these times then you will probably experience their toxic surroundings with them.

They just might be self centered.

If you are dealing with a self-centered person it’s safe to assume they’re not going to care how their actions or words affect you. It’s a good idea to stay away from these types of people if you can avoid them. Sometimes we’re forced to interact or even coexist with toxic people, they might be your co-workers or other family members, they could even be a friend who has changed over the years. No matter who they are, if they are self-centered, they are not concerned with you or how their actions or words affect you in the least, so try to stay clear of these types.

Do they act like a schoolyard bully?

This one might seem a little silly at first glance but what you’ll find is bullies don’t just quit after they graduate from school. You’re going to find them in the office place, you might find them out during a night on the town, they might even be a good friend of yours. One thing that is safe to assume is that if you’re dealing with a bully you’re probably in for a bad time.

Bullies tend to make you feel bad about yourself and potentially those around you, they might even instill negative thought patterns overtime. To avoid situations that you just don’t need from a friend, cut these people out of your life if you know they’re already apart of it, do yourself this favor.

They tend to act overly competitive.

Competition is natural, it can even be fun when experienced amongst friends. On the opposite side of the coin however, a toxic friend is going to be one who will always strive to outdo you just for their own ego’s sake.

They’re not going to care how you feel about it, they might resort to cheating, they may even resort to playing dirty just to get that win over you. If you are experiencing interactions with somebody who is always seeming to be in competition with you then you might want to reevaluate your friendship with this person… if there is one.

Are they constantly playing copycat?

 This is another one that could seem a little weird at first, but if you are friends with somebody who is always wanting to copy your style, maybe even down to the most particular detail in some cases, it’s safe to assume you might have a toxic person on your hands.

They might not mean anything by it, it may even be done in good faith, but make no mistake about it, this type of behavior could be an indication of a toxic person. It could indicate codependency or other behavioral issues which means that you need to be on the lookout for this type of red flag from your friends or those you know. 

They just lie a lot.

Nobody appreciates a liar and it’s in bad faith to have a liar who call themselves your friend. It’s not fair to judge anybody at a glance so this one should be taken with a grain of salt. The truth is that practically everybody lies at least some of the time.

However, if you are experiencing constant lies even during times where you’ve maybe had a talk with your lying-friend or a specific individual about their lying and they continue to lie to you, you may need to reconsider your interactions with this person and potentially dismiss them from your life if at all possible. It probably goes without saying that lying within the sacred walls of any intimate relationship is a sure way to make that foundation crumble, just keep an eye out for anyone who does this including potentially your own partner!

Always seek to replace toxic friends with good ones. 

There is that expression which says quality over quantity is best. This definitely holds true with regard to the friends we keep in our lives. On average human beings can really only maintain about five close relationships at any one time, this includes friendships. 

If you want to maintain a happy and healthy life then you’re going to need happy and meaningful relationships. Sometimes it can be hard to cultivate new relationships with new people. There’s always the option of rekindling an old friendship if you happen to know people around, this could even include people who live long distances which you still have access to through sites like Facebook and Twitter. 

How you choose to pick the people around you and who you decide to keep will always be your own personal decision. It’s just a good idea to pick people who add positivity and meaning to your life while keeping a distance from those who might be toxic, or who become toxic down the line.