As we get older, we become more selective of the people in our circles. There are some friendships we naturally outgrow, then there are those we painfully let go of because of their toxic traits. Just like there are red flags in a relationship, there are also red flags in friendships. These are the five major red flags you should be wary of.
Invalidating Your Feelings
They never acknowledge how you’re feeling and refuse to apologize whenever they invalidate you. If you always feel worse about yourself after having a conversation with them, it’s time to rethink the friendship. Is it worth keeping around someone who always puts you down?
Unhealthy Competition
There’s nothing wrong with friendly competition as it can even motivate you to do better. But when they always try to steal the spotlight and are jealous of your achievements, it becomes an unhealthy competition. Real friends are supposed to support your goals and interests and will want to see you grow.
Disrespecting Boundaries
Just because we’re in the internet age, it doesn’t mean you need to always be available to others. Those who take it against you when you aren’t able to reply immediately or are offended when you turn them down don’t respect your boundaries.
Never Returning Favors
If you notice that a person only reaches out to you when they need something, it’s not a genuine friendship. While it’s not necessary to keep score of the favors you do for each other, reciprocation would be appreciated.
Talking Behind Your Back
It’s one thing to be civil around people you don’t like, it’s another to talk behind your friend’s back. One telltale that they’re the type to do this is if they speak ill of other people in their life. Gossiping excessively is a toxic trait and that signals they’re not a trustworthy friend.
It could be easy to ignore these red flags especially when you want to see the best in people. There’s no excusing their bad behavior and you deserve to be in healthy relationships. In case you or a friend needs it, check out thiis list of organizations offering free counseling.
