Off The Record
12 Warning Signs A Fake Friend Can Never Hide From You
Possibly after romantic love, friendships are one of the best things in life. They make us feel less alone in a world that is cutthroat and competitive. They also make us feel at home even when we are not home; they make foreign countries seem like family get-togethers and the most hostile of times, smooth.
There are exceptions, however. In this scenario, fake friends. And it is very sad that they can be very common.
So, here are twelve behaviors that these fake friends cannot hide. These are like symptoms that these human-shaped diseases show. Make sure to stay away. It is better to be friendless for a while than having one of these to slow you down.
1. They try to change the person you are
These people are like the most subtle of predators. They will choose you because you have something that they don’t have: most often, it is popularity or social standing. Next, they will start very subtly to shame you for having those things and make you feel terrible for being the person you are, and for the way you have grown up.
They make you feel terrible by playing the victim, and more often than not, they will try to change you, because then they will have succeeded at dethroning you.
2. They are jealous
They are jealous and all they want from you is your success, or your beauty or your intelligence or your popularity. And for them, it is simple, they will either become you or they will change you into something they hate; otherwise, the green goblin of jealousy will burn them up from the inside.
But hey, do not pity them for this. Instead, learn to stay away.
3. They take their deepest anguishes out on you
They need some emotional dustbin for them to dump their emotional crap on. It must be you, because you are a nice person and breaking news: despite their promises, they don’t really like you.
They would rather be you, but they do not like you.
4. They are there to satisfy their own needs
As long as you have money or beauty or popularity or something that they do not have in life, they will hover around you like bees near sweetmeats. As soon as you fall on hard times, they will leave.
5. They will fight with you
And it is not play-fighting between friends. These are actual fights because their interests have been harmed in some way by you. You must remember something, you are like a prize cow to them: you will give them money, you will give them company and you will be their emotional dustbin. Say anything against them and they will fight you.
6. They do not celebrate your successes
They would rather spend it criticizing you and telling you how trivial your achievements are. They will also spend nights crying how it should have been them and not you up there on the stage.
Successes are celebrated only when there is no hint of jealousy or inequality. Of course, in this case, there is.
7. They have demands, not requests
And this is always a one-way street. You can never ask them to return the favor and you can never ask them to be there for you. But refuse them and all hell breaks loose.
Must read: 11 Things You Should Never Tell Your Friends About Your Relationship
8. Words mean jack to them
They never keep their promises to you. They are never the friends they swore they were. It is simple: you are but a plaything for them, to be used and wrung dry before they can chuck you out and move on.
9. They will play the victims
Anything to get what they want. They will play victims to make you feel guilty and get what they want out of you, or simply, make you suffer also.
10. There is always a sense of tension
You always feel a lump in your throat and are always feeling quesy about what to say or what will get them angry.
11. They will gaslight
To make you feel insane about their behaviour. They will lie through their teeth and not bat an eyelid.
12. They are gossipers
Because they never want to do anything for themselves. They would rather gossip about the shortcomings of others and destroy their reps, than work their asses off and achieve the same things for themselves.
Do you really want that level of negativity for yourself in your life?
