The phrase ‘toxic people’ gets thrown around a lot lately, but what exactly, or better yet, who exactly are these toxic people? Well, I am glad you asked because there are 7 that you need to look out for.
Despite the insurance of ‘toxic’ people articles and memes, there isn’t a lot of information out there in regards to what exactly a toxic person is. While a lot of articles about toxic people center around narcissists, not everyone who is toxic is narcissistic. There are a lot of different types of toxic people, but for the purpose of this article, I would like to focus on 7. Upon reading this, you will likely instantly recognize some of these types from your daily life.
Here are 7 types of toxic people.
1. The perpetual victim.
The perpetual victim is someone who is ALWAYS being victimized by someone at any given time. In fact, it’s far more likely that (in their mind) they are the victim of someone pretty much ALL the time. In fact, at first, you may even believe them, because everyone is victimized at one point or another. However, after the 8th person, this week has victimized them, it becomes clear that it’s all a ploy for attention.
2. The drama magnet.
People who are drama magnets are outright draining. It’s always something, and if it isn’t, they are sure to stir the pot and make it something. They love picking fights, starting unnecessary drama, and constantly working to make sure that drama follows them wherever they go. These are also the people likely to post passive-aggressive posts aimed at certain individuals in the hope someone will take the bait. Don’t take the bait.
3. The judge.
We’ve all been around the judge. They are the person who is always looking down on everyone and who always has something to say about others. They are not humble at all, and in their mind, they are always righteous and are the gatekeepers of what is right and what is wrong. They are quick to judge others, even when they don’t understand the situation, and they LOVE giving unrequested advice.
4. The pathological liar.
The pathological liar can be extremely frustrating for a number of reasons. First and foremost, you never really know if what they are saying is true. They will pretty much lie about anything. If this person is your partner or spouse, then it becomes all the more frustrating, but even if they are a friend, the dynamic can get pretty toxic pretty fast when dealing with a perpetual liar.
5. The negative Nancy.
The negative Nancy (or Nate, if you will) is someone who always has something to complain about. They could be in the best situation possible, and they would find one thing that didn’t please them and point it out. Because of their inclination to constantly point out the bad, they can be quite draining to be around.
6. The social media fake.
The social media fake is the person who lives a double life. On their Facebook, they might have you believe they are husband/wife of the year, and in reality, they constantly cheat on their spouse. Another example of this is the overly-political fake that is constantly boasting about how you should live your life (according to them) yet in reality, they never align with their own beliefs. Other examples are neglectful parents who act like mom/dad of the year on social media. There are so many examples of this, honestly.
7. Meddlers.
Meddlers are the ones who can never stay in their own lane. They are always intervening where they don’t belong, and they pretty much will act as though everything is their business. The best example of this is a manipulative mother or toxic mother-in-law. However, there are various ways in which the meddler can manifest.