Amayzine

The four types of toxic friends

By Bo Geschiere | #!31Tue, 28 Mar 2023 13:00:59 +0200+02:005931#31Tue, 28 Mar 2023 13:00:59 +0200+02:00-1Europe/Amsterdam3131Europe/Amsterdam202331 28pm31pm-31Tue, 28 Mar 2023 13:00:59 +0200+02:001Europe/Amsterdam3131Europe/Amsterdam2023312023Tue, 28 Mar 2023 13:00:59 +0200001003pmTuesday=9#!31Tue, 28 Mar 2023 13:00:59 +0200+02:00Europe/Amsterdam3#03-28-2023#!31Tue, 28 Mar 2023 13:00:59 +0200+02:005931#/31Tue, 28 Mar 2023 13:00:59 +0200+02:00-1Europe/Amsterdam3131Europe/Amsterdam202331#!31Tue, 28 Mar 2023 13:00:59 +0200+02:00Europe/Amsterdam3#

Fighting is never fun, especially not when it's with a good friend. Yet, it is sometimes necessary to see someone in a different light to know where you stand. Often, you only want to see the good in them, which makes you more likely to place the blame on yourself instead of accepting that they were simply the problem. Therefore, it is important to know what type of toxic friend you are dealing with. The four types are described below.

1. The drama seeker
This is that one friend you always confide in and share all your problems with. Whether it's about a relationship or a friend, it doesn't matter. Little do you know, they later tell everything to a third party while it wasn't meant to be gossip. At that moment, you just wanted a listening ear and needed advice on what to do. Instead, everything gets twisted, and you are portrayed as the ‘bad guy’. Why do they do this? They get satisfaction from creating drama and having control over it.

2. The faker
This friend acts extremely sweet and nice to your face but talks badly about you behind your back. They portray you as a bad person and publicly ridicule your character to tarnish your reputation. And when you confront them with evidence, they deny everything and act as if you are the toxic person. Often, the humiliating comments they made are brushed off as a joke. ‘We're not in kindergarten anymore’, ‘that wasn't meant that way’, and ‘you're making it much bigger than it actually is’. I think we've all heard these statements before, and they are definitely a red flag.

3. The hero
This person holds themselves in such high regard that their norms, values, opinions, and viewpoints are better than those of others. At first, they seem confident, but as you get to know them better, you realize they are very dominant and can only validate themselves. Your ideas and viewpoints no longer matter if they don't align with theirs. Instead of empathizing with your opinion, you are immediately put down and silenced.

4. The victim
Imagine you had agreed to meet for coffee at a café, and that person ultimately doesn't show up without sending a message or anything. Later, they come up with a story where they don't say ‘sorry’, but mainly feel very sorry for themselves. This friend rarely takes responsibility for a selfish action and instead uses excuses to gain sympathy. Very exhausting.