The scientific meaning of the word ‘toxic’ is ‘poisonous’. A poisonous substance that destroys or causes harm to an organ when it comes in contact with it. But when used to describe a person, it usually means that their behaviour causes the same effect to your emotional, mental, or even physical health. Although you cannot change a toxic person’s behaviour pattern, you can learn how to deal with them. But for that, you need to know how to spot a toxic person. Here are 5 such signs you should look out for in a person to know if they’re toxic for you and you need to maintain distance from them.

1. Self-Absorbed

You could say they’re extremely selfish. Toxic people only tend to care about themselves, their own good, and building their own self-esteem. For this, they won’t shy away from using you and once they’ve achieved what they wanted, they will not care coming back to you.

2. Manipulative

It’s easy to get manipulated when you don’t know the person well enough, or if you never think of them as someone who could hurt you. Toxic people tend to be manipulatives, they’ll come to you as friends. Sometimes even get close to you and learn all your secrets—just to use them against you when they see an opportunity for it.

3. Dishonest & Disloyal

Toxic people tend to be far from honest, they’ll lie even when it’s not required. It’s more of a habit for them. Not giving honest opinions to someone because you don’t want to hurt them is one thing, but toxic people will give dishonest opinions to do just the opposite. They will cheer when you fall down and draw upon you succeeding.

4. Give Less Take More

We all know that every relationship has a golden rule of ‘give and take’. But when the two just don’t seem to balance at all, know that it is not heading in the right direction. Toxic people tend to give less and take more and they’ll happily continue to do so without any guilt, as long as you don’t see it.

5. Victims

When it comes to toxic people, they love playing the victim card. They will go out of their way to find ways to feel demeaned, not respected enough, and even tyrannised—just so they can play the victim and make you feel guilty instead.

If by now you feel that you know a person like this, they’re definitely being toxic energy in your life. And many times, it isn’t possible to cut them out of your life completely. But what you can choose to do is distance yourself enough so they don’t affect you as much.

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