15 Tactics Toxic Friends Use To Keep You From Realizing Your Full Potential

1. They tell you what’s wrong with your life more than they celebrate what’s right.

Whether or not it’s under the guise of giving “advice” or “being realistic,” they always seem more comfortable focusing on the negative side of things.

2. They feel overly entitled to your time.

Sure, anyone who loves you wants to see you as much as possible, but real friends are grateful for whatever time they get. They don’t guilt you or manipulate you into prioritizing them over something that needs your attention.

3. They dislike when you change.

The reality is that if you’re not changing, you’re not living, and you’re certainly not growing. You do not owe it to anybody to be the person they met (nor do they owe it to you to stick around). But friends who get on your case for not being the exact person you were when you met them aren’t ones you want to have around anyway.

4. You often have to downplay yourself in order to not make them feel bad.

This might not seem manipulative, but ultimately, if you can’t be who you are or share what you’re experiencing because you don’t want to upset someone with cripplingly low self-esteem, you’re the one who is being affected by a problem that’s not even yours.