25 Signs Of Highly Toxic People

HA Staff - March 5, 2023

How do you define evil? Each religion has its own definition, along with various ways to spot and counteract these hostile forces. Evil and evil characters even appear in books and movies. These individuals possess great power and use it not to help people but rather to harm them. Evil people are in the business of using force to amass even more power. Moreover, they do it by striking down anyone who stands in their way. Fiction depicts evil people to make it easy to distinguish between them and the good protagonists. Their darkness and degeneration of spirit are not up for debate. Instead, it is there for everyone to see.

However, in reality, toxic people are not easy to spot. They do not reveal their motives beforehand because they want to avoid detection. They are masters of disguise and blend into a canvas of people without any difficulty. These evil people are not like the people from the stories. No, they do not have plans for world domination or destruction. What makes them wrong is their distinct lack of empathy for other people. That is not to say that they are sociopaths or psychopaths. Instead, they use and betray people. Furthermore, they do it without caring how a person is hurt in the process. Here are some ways to spot evil people who do not have your best intentions at heart.

People who need constant validation can be exhausting. Credit: Cosmopolitan

25. They Demand Constant Validation

Anyone who has ever had a friend who needed constant validation knows just how exhausting it can be to reassure and build them up 24/7. Needing constant validation and approval is an incredibly draining trait. It can become toxic, especially if that validation comes at the expense of your energy or, even worse, continually having to put others down to raise them. If you have a friend or partner who constantly puts down others around you in an attempt to lift themselves, it is likely only a matter of time before that negativity turns to you as well.

While we all need validation and encouragement sometimes, especially when we are feeling down, there is a noticeable difference in those who require approval and verification nearly every moment of the day. Some people do have mental health issues that make a need for validation more likely, which isn’t necessarily toxic, but for others, it’s merely the fact that they thrive off of constant praise from others as it feeds their ego. That sense of grandiosity and need for recognition is a very strongly toxic trait and one that can quickly end up hurting you or others as they constantly look for more and more validation.

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People who can’t empathize may be toxic. Photo Credit: HuffPost Canada

24. They Don’t Empathize

Empathy, or the ability to put yourself into someone else’s shoes, is an essential human social skill that allows us to understand or at least commiserate with someone else’s position or feelings. People who show no empathy are often characterized as sociopaths. While that is a rather extreme overreaction, people who choose not to empathize are toxic and likely to end up hurting your feelings intentionally or at least accidentally. If you find yourself explaining to someone why they should care about another person, that is a massive red flag warning of future toxic behavior.

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Some forms of neurodivergence, like autism, can make empathy harder to understand and practice, but that is drastically different from refusing to empathize or refusing to try. If you meet someone who struggles to understand others’ emotions due to neurodivergence, that is not toxic and something you can help with. However, if someone adamantly refuses to consider another person’s perspective or dismisses calls for empathy outright, that is concerning. The heart is often a quality that will lead us to change our views on an issue, be it political or personal, as we consider someone else’s reality. A lack of willingness to do that consideration can be very toxic.

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Guilt-trips can feel genuinely terrible. Credit: Healthline

23. Toxic People Guilt-Trip You

Do you have a friend where every conversation feels like an argument? Maybe it is a drawn-out sob story that always seems to result in you having to go along with what they wanted to begin with. If you find yourself continually being guilt-tripped, even over little things like which restaurant to go to or which movie to see, you may have a toxic connection. Guilt-tripping, in which your good nature or sympathies are leveraged against you through a sob story or bringing up a past fight, is an effective tactic of emotional manipulation and sometimes even abuse in intimate romantic relationships.

Don’t brush aside guilt-tripping instances even if they were over minor issues; guilt-trips are still a tool of emotional manipulation. Many toxic people can and will use them frequently and often even in a “joking” manner to make the manipulation harder to detect for what it is. Leveraging your own sympathies or dragging up the past is never an appropriate way to try to influence a decision, even if it’s passed off as a joke. Anyone who routinely guilt-trips you, especially if you give in to it, will always be able to find another new source of guilt to continue controlling your behavior and decisions.

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22. They Play The Victim

A significant trait of toxic people is an inability to ever apologize for their behavior and its consequences. One primary tool they use to avoid this responsibility is continually playing the victim in any situation, even ones of their creation. If you’ve ever been in a position where a friend or partner hurt your feelings, and you point that out only for them to turn around and paint you as the aggressor or the one who hurt them, then you’ve experienced a person who is playing the victim. It can be incredibly harmful long-term as it skirts close to gaslighting, an abusive behavior.

Unfortunately, many people react defensively when called out on problematic behavior, be it simply hurting someone’s feelings or a more pernicious behavior like making a bigoted statement. That defensiveness often manifests as attempting to turn the situation around and paint the originally aggrieved person as the aggressor. If you somehow find yourself always in the doghouse whenever your feelings have been hurt, you will likely be around a toxic person. That is a challenging behavior to change since merely approaching the topic of the action at all likely elicits a similar victimhood reaction, so you may need to cut your losses with this type of toxic person.

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Ignoring boundaries leaves you feeling violated. Credit: UBC Blogs

21. They Ignore Your Boundaries

All types of relationships need boundaries, be it romantic, friendship, or even workplace. Boundaries are a healthy way to ensure you keep yourself safe and healthy while communicating expectations to those you care about. A significant flaw in most toxic people is a complete lack of respect for anyone’s boundaries but their own. If a friend or partner is repeatedly violating your limits, it’s not only a sign of a lack of respect for you as a person but a sign that they are dangerously toxic. Tolerating a violation of your boundaries to appease a toxic person will likely lead to even larger breaches in the future.

Boundaries can look different from relationship to relationship and from person to person depending on personal values, behaviors, traditions, and more. What ultimately matters is that the boundary is communicated and agreed to. It establishes a precedent for action in a relationship. If a friend agrees to a limitation like “don’t call me on Thursdays because I work late” then the expectation is set. If a friend then turns around and immediately calls on a Thursday and gets mad at you for not answering, that is a toxic boundary violation and a major red flag for a person’s overall toxicity.

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Mistreating workers is a huge red flag. Photo Credit: Your Free Career Test

20. Toxic People are Rude to Service Workers

It is often said that the best judge of character is to watch how someone behaves when they think no one is watching and how they treat the “least” among us. For many toxic people, a particularly nasty character flaw will readily become apparent when you see how they interact with service workers like baristas or wait staff. Toxic people will often be incredibly cold or downright abusive to workers they view as their servants, and it’s an instant indicator of the quality – or lack thereof – of someone’s character. Think of how you’d want to be treated in one of those jobs and see if their behavior matches.

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This flaw is critical to watch for on first dates. How does the potential romantic partner talk to the wait staff? Do they refuse to make eye contact and just demand things with no please or thank you? Do they make creepy comments to attractive workers? Are they condescending? Any behavior towards service workers that makes you uncomfortable is a major red flag that they will eventually also make you uncomfortable through some form of toxic behavior.

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Healthy relationships shouldn’t leave you exhausted. Credit: Medical News Today

19. They Leave You Feeling Exhausted

Have you ever had a friend where every encounter with them, be it in person or on the phone, left you strangely tired and drained afterward? Some people call these folks “energy vampires” thanks to the lingering exhausting effect on everyone around them. Unless you’re the strongest introvert who has ever lived, speaking with a friend or loved one should at least leave you feeling emotionally recharged even if you’re physically tired or your sensory processes are overwhelmed. If you find that this isn’t the case and you’re becoming reluctant to talk to someone, it could be that they are toxic and sapping your energy for their own purposes, be it validation or something else.

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It’s a general principle that healthy relationships should feel good. That isn’t to say there can’t be disagreements or arguments, but the relationship itself should overall be a healthy space that you feel better for being in. A relationship that leaves you feeling exhausted or drained is the opposite of that principle, and it’s worth investigating if toxic behavior is the root cause. Someone who needs constant validation, someone who gaslights you, or someone jealous of everything could lead anyone to feel exhausted. If anything about a relationship feels exhausting or draining, check with yourself and invest the energy into figuring out the root cause of those negative feelings.

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Toxic people are often jealous of everything. Credit: Psychology Today

18. They’re Jealous Of Everything

If you care about someone, you should be happy for good things that come their way and other things that give them joy. You deserve that same respect from the people in your life, and they should be happy for you if something legitimately healthy and happy comes your way, be it a new friend, romantic partner, job offer, or anything else. If you have a friend who displays jealousy of good things that happen for you, especially if it’s jealousy towards other people in your life that you value, that person may be toxic and can harm you emotionally.

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Don’t let a jealous friend or partner suck the joy out of the good things in your life through jealousy. No one has a right to all of your time and attention. Furthermore, any friend who tries to limit your contact with others out of jealousy is no friend at all. Likewise, friends should never discourage you from taking an opportunity or celebrating success because they’re jealous of it. Friends lift each other, as do romantic partners. While it may be natural to feel a twinge of envy over something great that isn’t yours, a true friend will put that aside and support you regardless.

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17. They’re Always On The Defensive

We already talked about playing the victim, which is one major way of being defensive that toxic people employ to attempt to control situations and people. However, it’s far from the only way. If you have a friend or partner who constantly seems to be questioning you with a “what do you mean by that” or having too much evidence at hand to justify themselves over non-issues, they may be chronically on the defensive, which can be toxic and exhausting. Someone always on the defensive is entirely closed off and will never let you in for any sort of friendship or intimacy.

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Being defensive can be a trauma response, so it may be worth it for you to invest the time and energy into helping someone work through that. However, no one is entitled to your time or emotional investment, so that is your choice to make. Some people also stay on the defensive simply to avoid taking accountability for their actions and will often employ other tactics like gaslighting to accomplish this goal. That kind of behavior is purely toxic and should have no place in the healthy relationships in your life. Don’t let people on the defensive rob you of joy or gaslight you.

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16. Toxic People Gaslight You

Gaslighting, named after the British play Gas Light in which a man tries to convince his wife she’s losing her sanity, is a particularly insidious and nasty form of psychological and emotional abuse in which the abuser plants a seed of doubt in the victim’s mind about their memory and perception, leading them to question their own values and memories often about incidents surrounding the abuser. In intimate relationships, it usually takes the form of the abuser calling the victim crazy and denying clear evidence when presented in an attempt to manipulate and undermine the other person’s reality psychologically.

Gaslighting can occur in friendships and even work relationships, so it’s essential to recognize the signs. If a friend or coworker counters you when raising an issue with their behavior with lines like “that’s not what happened” or “are you sure you’re feeling ok,” those are serious signs that gaslighting may be occurring. Anyone who makes you question your own memories or sanity is likely exerting an extremely toxic influence on your life, and it is well worth distancing yourself from such people. If you are gaslit by a romantic partner, please seek out abuse and counseling resources in your area.

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15. They Don’t Share The Whole Story Of Their Lives

The best way to conceal one’s motives and overriding character is to keep people in the dark. The same is true for toxic people. They may spend oodles of time getting to know every aspect of your life. However, you will never know everything about them. The focus will always be on you and not them. That is because the more they know about you, the more they will be able to control and manipulate you. Once a person is aware of your background, personality, and desires, it is easy to hurt and use you. It is because negative people now know where your pressure points are. They know where your insecurities lie and where they originate from, too. They know how to hit you where it hurts the most.

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Once in that vulnerable state, you will be at their mercy. Knowledge is power, and evil people will never relinquish that power. They will not even level the playing field by divulging as much to you as you did to them. Instead, they will safeguard their true story. They may even fabricate an entirely new life altogether and deliver it to you on a silver platter. What’s more, they will not tell everyone the same story. Each person will likely get a different version. That will leave these evil people’s acquaintances thinking they must be living a double life because things do not add up. A real connection with a person is through vulnerability. It is through this vulnerability how you learn about a person and begin to care about them. An evil person does not want you to learn about them. They do not want you to know them because they want full control.

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14. They Are Only Around In Good Times

Life is not a straight road. It is filled with potholes, twists, turns, cliffhangers, and parts under construction, as well as a couple of smooth surfaces here and there. However, you are not left to travel this road alone. Often, our friends and loved ones can help. These people are there to fix a spare tire when it has gone flying off. They will wake up at ridiculous hours of the morning to bring you gas when you have run out. They will drive with you cautiously around that particularly tricky bend. Furthermore, they will speed with you down that wonderfully smooth stretch that feels like it will go on forever. However, people are not there to battle every obstacle for you. Instead, they are there in a supporting role.

They remind you that you are not alone and have the skills to cope with the curveballs thrown at you. Their aid can be in the form of advice or even just a listening ear or a hand to hold. It is the mark of a true loved one. These people do not disappear when things go sour or turn dark. They stand firm and persevere with you. An evil person does no such thing. They do not care about you and will disappear when you can no longer give them what you usually do. When you have money, they will be around. When you do not require any kind of effort, they will be around. However, as soon as things start looking a bit tough, they disappear. Be it emotional turmoil or financial difficulties. They will slink away into the night. You will only hear from them when things are on the up with you again.

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13. They Constantly Shirk Responsibility

Cause and effect govern the world you live in. Every action, no matter how big or small, has some consequence. That is an inescapable law of the universe. As a sentient being and an adult, you must take responsibility for your actions. You are taught from a young age. If you make a mistake, it is your responsibility. Furthermore, if you make the wrong choice, you must live with the consequences. It is by taking responsibility for your actions that you learn. That is how people evolve. When a person takes on the full weight of a mistake or a lapse in judgment, they realize they have to change in some way. Maybe they need to re-evaluate how they make decisions or how they manage their impulses.

They might even have to do some introspection on their character or personality. Furthermore, these people may wonder if they are too judgmental, temperamental, or selfish. After all, you are only given this one life. You only have one chance to live the best possible life and be the best possible person you can be. That means you must ask the hard questions. At times, you have to accept blame or fault. Once you do that, you must work through the process of fine-tuning your character and worldview. At least, this is what a reasonable person does. However, a person who does not accept responsibility for their actions is not right. These people not only don’t take responsibility, but they will also try to shift the blame. They will accuse others of being at fault or deny there is a problem altogether.

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12. They Lie All the Time

Do absolute truths exist? People have their own realities. These realities differ in size and general composition. They are dependent on the person and the environment they grew up in, too. The unfortunate fact is that you will never know any other perspective but your own. So, you will, therefore, only ever know your reality. You can always try to be more open to other people’s perspectives, opinions, and ideas. That helps improve the scope of your existence. But, it will always be specific to the individual. The consequence is that the truth may be different to different people. While it is nice to think that the truth is objective, it is not.

It is subjective and tainted by a multitude of factors specific to each person. This line of thought might suggest that lies do not exist. It may indicate that people are merely acting on and talking about their own realities. Nevertheless, there is a dividing line here. Lies do exist, but they do not depend on the person receiving them but rather on the person who is doing the lying. If the aim is to conceal or deceive, then it is a lie. An argument about perspectives and realities cannot be made here. The person is lying, plain and simple. Not only do lies exist, but everyone tells them. Lies happen every day. However, the distinction between evil people is that they lie compulsively and for sport. They lie because they can. Wrong people lie about big things and little things alike. There is no getting to the truth with these people as they will simply tell more lies to cover up the initial lie.

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11. They Never Relinquish Control

There are two types of people in this world. Some people believe the world is ordered, and they have some element of control over it. And then some people believe that chaos governs the world. The former of these people live their lives in a set way. They have been brought up to believe that if one acts in a certain way and does a particular set of things, then things will turn out well for them. They think this philosophy drives every person and everything is explainable to some degree. But the latter of these people live in a completely different world. They see the world as being far more jumbled and chaotic. They do not believe there is a set, straightforward way to live one’s life. Furthermore, they do not see people as predictable creatures.

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While these two groups of people may have wildly different philosophies on life, they both seek some level of control. Neither one of them let things fall haphazardly where they may. Each may have other methods of control. However, every single one of them tries to exact varying degrees of control over their environment. That is human nature. Then there are evil people. These people are total control freaks. They seek to control everything and everyone. Unscrupulous individuals do this because it gives them power and because they believe it is their right. They see themselves as being better than others, and therefore they are entitled to use and control others to accomplish their means.

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10. They Demand Your Time

Life is a balancing act. You are only given 24 hours each day to accomplish all that you set out to do. Each person divides their time in their unique way, following how they value things. A person who loves sleep may ensure that they are getting adequate rest. One who is focused on success will dedicate far more time to their work than to anything else. Nevertheless, those who work to enjoy their lives will make sure that there is a balance between work and play. Every one of us is forced to do this juggling act between what we want and what we need to do. Because time is so important, people tend to surround themselves with people who value the same things. That is an attempt to avoid conflict.

A work-orientated person does not want to be nagged about working too much. They want their loved ones to accept and admire the fact they are dedicated to their work. A person who values experiences does not want to hear they lack ambition or focus. Nevertheless, while your loved ones may not always agree with the way you utilize your time, they do not go out of their way to waste it, either. Your loved ones do not demand your attention when they know you are needed elsewhere. An evil person differs in this regard. They do not value what you value, and they do not care about your success or happiness. Instead, they demand your time and attention whenever they see fit, regardless of how inconvenient it may be for you.

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9. They Are Well-Versed Manipulators

People are all quick to mouth off about manipulation, but can you come up with a definition? In the broadest sense, manipulation entails coercing a person into doing or feeling something they otherwise would not. Manipulators do this without the person’s knowledge. Instead, the victim of manipulation wonders why they are doing something out of character or feeling in such a way that doesn’t quite make sense. There are two damaging results of manipulation. The first is the direct result of the manipulation. A person may have been coerced into doing something without having all the information. Therefore, they are not aware of the consequences. In emotional manipulation, people will feel a multitude of damaging emotions the manipulator purposefully plants.

The second damaging result is when a manipulator robs a person of their free will. Free will does exist, and it is quite a heinous crime to take that away from a person. Each individual should have the right to make their own decisions. You should act how you feel fit, and you do not deserve to have someone toy with your emotions for amusement. An evil person is an incredibly skilled manipulator. They can make you feel whatever they desire. They can make people act in unconventional ways. Also, the manipulated individual may even trade their viewpoint of themselves with the perspective of the manipulator. An evil person can easily breaks down your sense of self and even your moral core.

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8. They Never Apologize

How often do people dole out sincere apologies? You may have received an apology before but was that person genuinely sorry? Or, were they trying to dispose of the situation as quickly as possible? A heartfelt apology requires how and why things went wrong. To sincerely deliver this apology, a person needs to be fully aware of the hurt they have inflicted. Once they reach this awareness, they are required to feel remorse. Remorse entails feeling guilty for the pain and harm they imposed on another human being. Genuine remorse is surprisingly hard to come by. Two things stand in the way of these sincere apologies. The first being that people do not have a similar range of emotions.

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Each person has a different tolerance and threshold to emotional pain. While a specific action may truly hurt one person, ten other people wouldn’t be phased. So, if a person would not be hurt themselves by their actions, then the chances are they are not likely to feel remorse when their efforts wind up hurting others. The second thing is that it takes a large amount of courage and character strength to admit fault. People do not like to think or acknowledge that they have made mistakes. They do not want to recognize the error in their judgment or ways. An evil person, on the other hand, will never apologize. Guilt is an entirely foreign emotion to malicious individuals. They do not care if they have caused another person harm. Therefore will not apologize for it.

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7. Their Reality Is Completely Different

People are different. That may sound like a feeble statement, but there is truth in its simplicity. People are always saying that everyone is different and entitled to their own opinion. However, what does this mean? People are different because they all see the world differently. Everyone has varying opinions on how they believe the world works and how it should work. People also have their own version of what is right and what is wrong. There is, unfortunately, no real moral benchmark on this planet. Different religious institutions and spiritual paths may try to define their standards. So, while in isolation, it rings true that things can get incredibly confusing when held alongside others.

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The culmination of all this individuality is that each person has their own reality. They only know the world through their eyes, and therefore the only relevant truth is their own. An evil person cannot possibly be excluded from this. They, too, have their own reality. There is, however, a slight deviation from the norm with these people. To evil people, there is no argument between right and wrong. They do not even feel the need to make the distinction. They live in a reality where they simply do whatever they want. Their wants and desires are all that is relevant. So the impact on other people does not even factor into the equation. Reality such as this is not born of a clash of ideology or upbringing. It arises from a prevailing belief that the person is more important than anyone else. They believe their desires and opinions are the only possible things that could ever matter.

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6. They Make You Feel Off

Human beings are designed explicitly for survival. For thousands of years, they have evolved in specific ways, with the sole aim of ensuring the survival of the human species. This evolution can be physical, but the more interesting systems lie beneath the surface. It includes the fight or flight reaction. That is a layman’s term for the sympathetic nervous system’s action that powers up when a person is in danger. When this system activates, there is a multitude of physiological changes that take place. The aim is to provide the person with the energy and capabilities to fight their attacker or flee to safety. Scientists have studied this physical response, so it is a scientific fact. There is, however, another kind of defense mechanism that human beings have.

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Science doesn’t fully understand this one. So, it is hard to explain in as much detail. This mechanism is a person’s instinct. Call it a person’s gut or even their intuition, but the implication is the same. People all have something inside that subtly alerts them when there is something amiss. It could be a place that is just not quite right. This place may not seem inherently dangerous, but you can tell there is something wrong with it. You may even feel that you should not be in this place. Moreover, the same is true for most people. You may just tell that there is something wrong with an evil person. When you are around them, you do not quite feel like yourself. Maybe you feel on edge, nervous, or even in danger. That is a clear sign of an evil or toxic person. Furthermore, it is a sign that you should never ignore.

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5. They Are Cruel

The previous points have dealt mainly with subtle signs. They have highlighted subversive ways that evil people hurt and manipulate others. However, there are specific obvious ways to spot a wrong person. Moreover, one of them is being cruel. People make mistakes. That is a simple, real fact about life. You may say things you do not mean and do things you shouldn’t do. In the heat of the argument, everyone is guilty of hurting the people they love. You may even do this knowingly out of overwhelming feelings of hurt and anger you feel at the moment. Furthermore, when you are hurt, you may lash out at those around you.

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You may even intentionally try to hurt those that hurt you. Perhaps you want that person to feel your pain or to know how much they affect you. It is human nature. Another aspect of human nature is that most people do not like doing this. In your heart, you may not want to hurt people. Furthermore, you probably do not want to be the source of their pain. Moreover, if you are unfortunate enough to harm a loved one, you may feel guilty about it. You may even try to repair the situation. Nevertheless, an evil, toxic person does none of these things. They are intentionally cruel. They derive pleasure in hurting others and do not feel any remorse once they finish the act. These people can hurt others either by displaying physical violence or by being emotionally abusive. They often mirror their inner hurt, and for that, they deserve some sympathy. However, others should not have to suffer because of their inner torment.

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4. Your Friends and Family Don’t Like Them

Your loved ones play a vital part in your life. They are there to help, to love, and to advise. These people will always have your best intentions at heart. They do not want to see you used, abused, or hurt. Also, they want you to live your best possible life. These people do not want to see you fail, either. They rejoice in your successes and will comfort you during your loss. However, they can be quite annoying at times. Moreover, this may make you far less inclined to listen to their advice and insights. One of the critical dangers when dealing with evil people is they can place you under their control. They use their vast arsenal of manipulation and lies to make you utterly submissive to them.

Toxic people set themselves up, so people value themselves according to their standards. They create a cycle where they break people down and then build them up, which fosters dependency. All of this means that people are blind to their real character. Victims of toxic people cannot tell what they are doing to them. They cannot see how the evil person is abusing them. Loved ones do not suffer from the same delusions as the victims. They can see what the cruel individual is doing to their loved ones. Moreover, they are generally quite vocal about it. If your friends and family say this person is bad news, it may be time to take a step back and evaluate what they are saying. These are people you trust and love. You know they care about you and you should, therefore, considering heeding their advice. They may well be seeing something that you are blind to.

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3. They Breed Confusion and Conflict

In general, people do not like conflict. Some people are more confrontational than others, but at heart, even these people do not like fighting. No one enjoys being angry and hurt. It is exhausting. Being involved in a fight, be it physical or emotional, leaves a person completely drained. It batters the heart, mind, spirit, and even the body. Conflict robs a person of their peace of mind. It also inhibits them from performing the simplest of tasks without being distracted by the current conflict. A person who is wrapped up in conflict is a vulnerable person. Their defenses are down because they do not have the strength to protect themselves from another onslaught. These same people could be quite formidable at their best.

However, during these times, they are particularly vulnerable to manipulation. They are primed to become a toxic person’s plaything. It is for this reason that evil people breed conflict. They sustain an environment that is entirely shrouded in conflict and confusion. That breeds dependency and fosters control. An evil person wants to keep you at your worst. They do not want you returning to full strength, as this will signal you do not need them anymore. When you are strong, they cannot control you, and they cannot let that happen. A person that leaves you feeling battered and confused is not someone you want to be around. You need people in your life that build you up, not break you down. Avoid people who breed conflict at all costs. They do not have good intentions. They are not good people. In fact, they thrive on emotionally wrecking good people. That makes them feel powerful and in control.

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2. They Don’t Respect Boundaries

Boundaries dictate how you interact with people. You form them while growing up and then use them later in life. According to psychologists, there are healthy boundaries and unhealthy boundaries. A person will have one of the two, depending on how they were brought up and their relationship with their parents. A parent is a caregiver. They are the ones that teach, provide and nurture you. Therefore, you have to able to depend on these people when you need them. A person who has had this kind of interaction with their parents probably has healthy boundaries. These boundaries will ensure that a person does not share too much about themselves too quickly.

These people will trust others appropriately and foster relationships that are neither too detached nor too dependent. Unhealthy boundaries, on the other hand, produce the exact opposite effect. These people do not trust people appropriately. They either trust too quickly or not at all. The same goes for sharing. They either reveal too much about themselves, or they do not open up at all. An evil person does not allow boundaries to dictate the way they interact with you. They demand to be heard, and they require your attention when they want it. Toxic people will never respect your privacy as information is power. This type of person wants to know how they can control and hurt you. Even once you have kicked them out of your life, they will do whatever it takes to force themselves back in. They will not respect your desires or intentions because, to them, you are inherently less important than themselves.

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1. They Enjoy Hurting Others and Do It With Humor

It takes a fair amount of character strength and confidence to be able to laugh at yourself. If you were honest with yourself, you would probably admit you do not like being teased. Most people would rather have others compliment them as opposed to knocking. No one wants their mistakes and insufficiencies held up and, worse, laughed at. But, we take it. We laugh it off because at the end of the day, to be human is to err. There are times when you can’t take life seriously. Everyone needs to laugh once in a while. Moreover, at times, it can be quite cathartic to laugh at oneself. There is a fine line here, though. It is essential not to use humor as a weapon to harm people.

Nevertheless, this is precisely what toxic people do. It has already been said they enjoy seeing others in pain. They intentionally hurt and insult other people. Furthermore, there are times when they use humor to do just that. That is a particularly menacing way to hurt people, as evil individuals can brush it off as a joke. When they utter those words that they were just joking, they have robbed a person of their right to feel hurt. A person hurt by what was supposedly meant as a joke is accused of taking things seriously or being sensitive. Toxic people thus use humor to flip the situation on its head. The onus no longer lies on them but rather on the hurt individual who is being overly dramatic. These people are now not liable for any blame because they were just joking. These are the 15 ways to know when you are dealing with an evil or toxic person. Did you recognize any of these traits in someone you know? If so, keep your eyes open to avoid manipulation and deceit.

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