I spent much of my life thinking that if someone was toxic, they probably had bad intentions or were at the very least, aware of their toxicity. As an adult, I’ve come to realize that most toxic people are completely unaware of their toxicity because to them, it is normal. Put simply, I believe there is a personal bias.
And the thing about toxicity or even toxic behaviors is that they can manifest in any of us. None of us are immune to toxic behavior. So, if after you read this, you notice some patterns that have become the norm for yourself, it’s always good to address that as soon as possible. The good thing is, that even if you have toxic habits if you have the mindset to be open to grow and do better- you’ve already won half the battle. Here are 5 bad behaviors that are normal for toxic people.
1. Always thinking about the negatives.
We’ve all been around that one person who could find a negative in every single scenario. No matter what it is, unless it’s something they are on board with, a toxic person will find something to complain about. This can be a pretty innocent tendency at first, but after a while, it begins to take over and you can go from a few negative thoughts to constant doom and gloom pretty quickly.
2. Comparing themselves to others.
In the modern age of social media, it’s so easy to get caught up in a comparison game or become competitive with others. However, be wary of this tendency. First and foremost, you rarely know what is going on in someone’s life that they aren’t telling you. And secondly, your journey is not theirs and vice versa. Life isn’t a competition.
3. Pushing their beliefs onto others.
Toxic people often believe that what is right for them, is right for everyone. If they believe something is true, it is true, even though other people are living this life as well and under different circumstances. One person’s truth is not the truth of everyone else and it’s downright toxic to force your beliefs on others.
4. Living in the past.
This is another one that is innocent enough. It’s easy to get caught up in the past, especially if you are hung up on something that went majorly wrong. But, the thing is, you can’t ever move forward looking back.
5. They take everything too personally.
Just because something offends you, does not mean that it is a personal attack on you. Toxic people get defensive real quick and take everything as a personal attack. Even constructive criticism is conflated to be something it’s not. And because of that, toxic people often struggle to grow.