Do you have friends? You should know the signs of bad friends because not all friends are good for making your life better and enjoyable. As some are actually bad friends and can spoil your life, it’s better to stay away from them.
What are the signs of bad friends?
One of the most common signs of bad friends is that they call you their friend but make you feel worthless, guilty, or bad about yourself. Bad friendships badly affect your mental as well as emotional health, so you need to be well aware of the signs of bad friends to keep yourself away from them.
This article not only explores the signs of bad friends but also some ways to stay away from them. So read till the end!
7 Signs of bad friends
Knowing the signs of bad friends makes it easier for you to differentiate between good and bad friends.
Here is a list of 7 signs of bad friends that you should know:
1. MAKE FUN OF YOU:
Bad friends don’t respect you and even make fun of you, especially in front of others. It can be upsetting and demoralizing to receive treatment like this from so-called friends, and this affects your confidence and happiness. If you have friends who just don’t care about how you feel and even disrespect you, it’s better to maintain a distance from them. Just getting the answer “How do you feel around your friends?”, gives you the answer to whether you have good or bad friends.
2. GET JEALOUS WHEN YOU HANG OUT WITH OTHERS:
Bad friends are not your well-wishers because they are envious of your growth, friendships, and happiness with others. This is because they may be overly possessive or have a controlling nature. Such kinds of people are not worth being in a relationship with, even as friends. They may also try to put obstacles in your way if they have seen you grow or become more successful. So watch out for the actions of your friends and sense if they are your well-wishers or just bad friends. Then make a decision to either be friends with them or to stay away from them.
3. DISRESPECT YOUR VALUES AND BOUNDARIES:
Bad friends have no respect for your values and boundaries. They just don’t bother about your feelings, thoughts, and decisions. And disrespecting someone’s values and boundaries means disturbing that person mentally and emotionally. So that makes you feel frustrated, irritated, and pressured around them. You better stay away from such people, who have no respect for you, even if they are not to be called friends.
4. PERSUADE BAD HABITS:
Bad company and bad people encourage undesirable behaviors, such as drinking, smoking, drug use, misbehaving with others, and many others. They always pressurize you, push you, and even try to make fun of you for not keeping company with their bad habits. And that makes it clear that they are not your good friends and even not your well-wishers. Because once you get addicted to any bad thing, it gets too difficult for you to get out of it, and your whole life may get ruined. So just be very careful while choosing your friends.
5. MEAN AND SELFISH:
One of the common signs of bad friends is that they are so selfish and self-obsessed that they hardly share a single thing with you. They may take your help in every possible way, but they make excuses when you need help or something from them. Therefore, determine the type of friends you have, as fake or undesirable friends should not be on your friend list.
6. TAKE ADVANTAGE OF YOU:
If your friends always take advantage of you, then this is one of the main signs of good friends. They are your so-called friends, maybe because of your reputation, rich background, extra-sweet nature, good links, etc. They don’t like who you are, but they like your money, reputation, and links. So it’s better to maintain some distance from the bad intentions of bad friends.
7. MANIPULATE YOU:
Some friends always try to manipulate you for their own advantage. As there is no place for manipulation and controlling behavior in good friendship, those who behave like this are not your good friends. And even you may lose yourself in their company. So, better get to know about such friends and keep yourself away from them.
Ways to stay away from bad friends
All these are signs of bad friends and toxic friendships, which majorly affect your self-esteem and good nature. So it’s better to stay away from such friends as soon as possible until it gets too late. Following are some of the ways to stay away from bad friends:
- Realize and accept that you get caught with bad friends.
- Then make up your mind to stay away from such friends, even though it gets difficult.
- Better go and have an honest conversation with them, but politely and honestly.
- If you don’t want to talk openly about it, then limit your time and gradually leave their company.
- Go out, do new things, and make new friends to distract your mind.
- Seek the assistance of your parents, siblings, or other friends in order to avoid bad company.
It is preferable to be alone than to be in the company of poor companions. Relationships are made to make you feel loved, supported, and valued, not bad about yourself. So know these signs of bad friends, and it’s better to end your toxic friendship for your own benefit and happiness.
