Signs of Fake Friends

More often than not when we don’t have a good supportive family, we rely on friends for support. However sometimes we befriend people who are far from loyal and are not genuine. Fake friends live for themselves and use you for their personal gain. Sadly often it takes time to realize this and when it is realized letting go of the friend is hard. However always remember, you are not losing a friend but rather letting go of a hater. Here are five types of fake friends you might encounter. Some seem mutually inclusive but there are subtle differences.

1.

The friend who always need something (will reach out to you only when there is a need).

Some people regularly befriend you because they think you have wealth or it could be that fellow student who knows you get the best grades. These people never reach out to you or call you unless they need a favour or a loan. Avoid them at all costs and as Polonius in the play Hamlet says-neither a borrower nor lender be.

2. The friend who Gaslights you.

Fake friends often make up stories about you, ones you do not remember. They genuinely do this to make themselves look better. They are the same ones who spread toxic rumours about you. If another person gossips about you, they will never stand up for you putting their safety first. While this part in understandable, they will still listen in on the gossip and maybe even contribute to it.

3.

The friend who never reaches out to you.

You may have numerous contacts on your phone and many who never initiate the first conversation. They may reply when you talk to them but they are not ever concerned for your wellbeing. They are usually the same friend who cancels on you every time you make an attempt to hang out. They are never involved in your life and the friendship remains one sided.

4. They always talk about themselves.

Many friends are narcissists by nature. They may have a high sense of self and only want to talk about themselves. They fail to ever engage in talk about your problems but are always ones who talk openly about their problems and expect you to listen. They never seem to realize they are excluding your thoughts and feelings on any issues you might be discussing. If you ever bring up a thought contrary to what they say they may be harshly critical to your take. They will not consider your opinions no matter how valid they are. These same fake friends can’t be corrected and are usually the friend who is hard to let go. They are manipulative in nature and take you for granted.

5. The friend who always talk down on you.

Some false friends talk down maybe to gain popularity or maybe as a means to feel better about themselves. They are the kind of person who is one to give a backhanded compliment. An example of a backhanded compliment is like-that was better than expected or something like I expected less out of you but you surprised me. They are usually negative people in nature and cutting ties with them is necessary for one’s personal growth. They may ultimately be the one who ends up backstabbing you and hurting you. They encourage your self deprecation and should be avoided.

Conclusion:

Breaking off with false friends proves challenging especially if you have known them for some time. Making new friends is often an enjoyable experience but with bad company comes bad character. Always remember it is not selfish to call off a toxic friendship because you are worth the happiness you get from cutting them off.