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Entity discusses bad friends

So you have a bad friend. It happens to everyone sooner or later, and it’s a lot more common than people think. The hard thing about it is identification; toxicity in friendship is not always super obvious.

Like if someone switched your coffee with arsenic, everyone around you would be like, “Yup, That’s definitely toxic.” This is immediately apparent to everyone. A toxic friendship can be subtle back-handed compliments and pokes at your personality, all of which are tiny power moves masquerading as harmless teasing.

So how do you identify such a friendship? Well, take some advice from the wonderful women of “Friends.”

1 The backhanded compliments are endless.

Entity discusses bad friends

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Have you ever heard the phrase, “I love how you just wear anything. It’s so you.” Yeah, these are not uncommon with bad friends. They want to point out the ways you are inferior, but frame it as a nice comment. Although it might seem harmless at first, repeated instances of this can be both hurtful and manipulative.

2 They say really awful things about you in “joke” form.

Entity discusses bad friends

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Something bad friends are really into is the whole “You’re a horrible person and I hate you… lol” type thing. Now, granted, some people have a banter that’s specific to their relationship, like an inside joke. However, if it does not obviously seem like a joke to the surrounding people, that means there’s a hint of “that wasn’t a joke” behind what the insulter is saying.

3 It’s their way or the highway.

Entity discusses bad friends

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Although not all bad friends are control freaks, it’s not an uncommon trait to find in them. A bad friend assumes their preference will be met in any situation, and if that does not happen, they will get aggravated.

They may control where you hang out, when you leave to go places, which people you’re going to talk to on the way… so basically like a controlling relationship. It’s no fun, and you lose a lot of the freedom and spontaneity you have with more chill friends.

4 they may be over possessive.

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Possessiveness is all about control, so it’s pretty similar to the previous point. A toxic friend might get unusually angry if you borrow a hair tie without asking, or if you ask for a piece of their gum. Having boundaries with your possessions is fine, but the “don’t touch my stuff” conversation does not have to be a loud one.

5 The conversation tends to be about them.

Entity discusses bad friends

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You may have found yourself not telling these people about your struggles, but you couldn’t figure out why. Well, a bad friend is a bad listener, so odds are you felt hurt by how uninterested they appeared while you told them your story.

Ranting is a natural process in any friendship, but it should be a two-way street. If they don’t comment on your rant and immediately talk about how it relates to theirs, that could be a sign of a bigger issue.

So we hope you don’t find yourself in a controlling relationship with one of these bad friends. But if you do, a strong woman will know how to respectfully end any relationship.

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