The 08 Types of People Who Are Secretly Destroying Your Life

I don't know who said it, but it's true; you are the sum of who you surround yourself with.

That's why American writer and filmmaker Don Roff suggests you surround yourself with people who help make you a better version of yourself and avoid those who don't.

But the question is, how will you understand whom to avoid among all the people around you?

Well, it's not that hard. There are signs that help you identify the people who are secretly destroying your life. They can pause your progress with their tricks if you don't take action.

So, please take note of the following eight types of people and avoid their company at any cost.

The Negative Nancies: Oh, No! The glass is half empty

No matter what you do, there will always be someone who will find something negative in it.

Suppose you want to start a business. In that case, they will say your idea is not good, or the market is already saturated, or you're going to fail if you don't have investors, or the time isn't right for you, and blah, blah, blah.

This type of person sucks the energy out of you and puts you into a maze of negativity and doubt. Consequently, you lose confidence in staying focused on your goals and become pessimistic.

What can you do?

Never allow this type of "Negative Nancies" around you.

Always keep a safe distance from them; as Joel Osteen said, "You cannot expect to live a positive life if you hang with negative people."

The Know-It-All: I'm right and I know everything

"We can never reach a stage where we can say, I know everything, and I have nothing more left to learn," Pooja Agnihotri writes in the book 17 Reasons Why Businesses Fail.

You will find people around you who think they must always be right. They believe they know everything.

These arrogant know-it-all people are obsessed with themselves and the opinions they throw on the table. They never value others' ideas and are always very difficult to deal with.

Avoid these kinds of know-it-all guys. And remember, it's always great to be a know-nothing idiot than a know-it-all bigot.

The Constant Complainer: Why doesn't anything work the way I want?

Some people are never happy. Put them in heaven, and they will find something to complain about. Author Marty Rubin thinks chronic complainers are plain idiots and can be a real drag to be around.

In your personal or professional life - if you observe the people you surround yourself with, you will find one or two people who constantly complain about something.

These constant complainers are incredibly unproductive and create problems even when there aren't any. They never become part of a solution. Instead, they love to find fault and brag about it to get others' attention.

As you know - a bad workman always quarrels with his tools. Therefore, you must set free the constant complainer from your life.

Don't pay attention to those toxic people. Get rid of them immediately.

The Overly-Critical Person: You're okay but…

"Often those that criticize others reveal what he himself lacks," says author Shannon Alder.

These people keep themselves busy by criticizing others and finding fault in everything. They're not very pleasant to be around and can make life difficult for those around them.

If you spend time with an overly-critical person, your self-confidence will hit rock bottom. Why? Because that person will continuously criticize everything you do and make your life hell by manipulating your thoughts.

Eventually, you will lose the ability to enjoy your day-to-day life and become more cynical about everything.

So, stay away from those overly-critical stupids.

The Manipulator: I'm the master of mind games

There are people around you who often want to manipulate you. And how do they do it? They constantly lie, make excuses, hide truths, and make you feel guilty by playing mind games. They know your weakness and exploit you using your insecurities.

They do so to gain power over you. They intend to make you dependent on their opinions. Thus they have a feeling of superiority.

Remember, these people aren't trustworthy and can be dangerous to growth. So, identify the manipulators by examining their activities and then say goodbye to them forever.

The Victim-Mentality People: Why me? Why me? Why me?

According to WebMD, people who went through trauma or hard times in life yet failed to develop a healthier coping mechanism fall into the victim mentality category.

Interestingly, they never admit their own faults in life. Instead, they believe they are just the victims of what happened to them. And, of course, they always blame others for their miserable conditions.

If you go to them and offer help, they will come up with a huge list of reasons why nothing will work towards their benefit.

These victim-mentality people possess a negative view of life. They often think they are the most unfortunate and unhappy ones. "Why me? Why me? Why me?" - is their national anthem.

If you surround yourself with victim-mentality people, they will fill your life with negativity and turn you into one of them. So, keep yourself 100 feet away from those cry babies.

The Control Freak: I'm the one in charge, not you

A control freak can eat you alive in no time.

These people always love to be in control of everything. Therefore, they are highly demanding and difficult to please.

Unsurprisingly, many of you may find your boss a control freak. They can be manipulative and often use guilt trips to get what they want. They do it because they are highly insecure and need constant reassurance that they're in control.

Deal with the control freaks this way -

• Spend as little time as possible with them
• Find out the reasons why they are so controlling
• Have a bold attitude, and don't be afraid to say "no"
• Instead of focusing on them, work on your own self-esteem

If you work under a control freak, desperately search for better opportunities and move. Don't allow a control freak to ruin your professional and personal life.

The Energy Vampire: I empty you sucking all the juice

How could you know someone is an energy vampire?

Well, the signs are apparent. You'll find an energy vampire if you closely observe the people you meet or talk to daily. They steal your ideas, opinions, and energy and fill you with negativity and doubts. They are always needy and manipulative and never get happier when you achieve something.

After meeting them or having a talk with them -

• you'll be down
• your energy level will get lower
• your mind will be filled with negative thoughts
• you'll start to doubt the goals you set for yourself
• you won't feel like working and eventually will begin procrastinating

What can you do?

Set boundaries with them, and don't let them drain your energy.

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I hope you understand what type of people you need to avoid if you want to achieve the goals you set for yourself.

So, have a closer look at the people you surround yourself with, and get rid of those who belong to the above categories.

I wish you a happy and prosperous life ahead.

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*Originally published on Medium (link)