Keeping a Healthy Distance from Toxic Personalities

The human mind is an often mysterious and unpredictable thing, yet beneath it all lays many personality types which can be easily identified and studied. While it would be ideal to interact positively with each and every person, the reality is that not everyone is amiable, and it’s important to do what’s necessary in order to safeguard both mental health and emotional wellbeing. It’s important to learn to recognise unhealthy relationships and keep a healthy distance from people who will bring negativity and strife into our lives.

Psychologists recommend keeping a healthy distance from three specific personality types: competitive personalities, passive-aggressive personalities, and people with unstable emotions. Let’s take a closer look at each one in turn.

The Competitive Personality

These personalities thrive on competition—it’s the fuel for their fire. They don’t thrive in collaborative endeavors and will always be trying to one-up the other person, brought on by a need to be the best and the most successful at everything. This type of behaviour can be immensely tiring and draining, as it is impossible to appreciate or simply be content in any endeavor — as even if we are “winning”, there is always the need to do better than everyone else.

Passive-Aggressive Personality

Passive-aggression refers to an individual who expresses a negative attitude or emotion but doesn’t actively address the issue — they may use snarky comments, sarcasm, continual passive disapproval, and other tactics in order to express their frustrations but indirectly, avoiding confrontation. This type of behaviour creates an incredibly hostile atmosphere, which unfortunately is rarely conducive in any kind of relationship — however, it can easily become a cycle if we continually allow this behaviour to be acceptable.

Unstable Emotions

It is important to remember that just because someone expresses emotions easily, it doesn’t necessarily mean they are sincere. Sometimes, people display disordered or chaotic emotions, turning feelings and situations on and off without warning, based on their desires at the time. This creates an incredibly volatile atmosphere and can be very damaging for those around them, as it is near impossible to empathise and connect in such a capricious manner.

How To cope

Boundaries are key when it comes to these types of personalities, no matter the situation. When dealing with a competitive personality, it’s important to remain firm and confident, while also offering assurance and appreciation; with passive-aggressive personalities, it’s important to stay somewhat emotionally removed and focus on resolving the issue instead of getting frustrated; and when dealing with individuals with unstable emotions, it’s important to establish boundaries and remain firm, as it can be difficult to be affected and potentially manipulated by their emotions.

Safeguarding Mental Health

More importantly, it’s beneficial for us to practice self-love and self-care, create healthy boundaries and learn to really listen to and trust our intuition — if someone triggers any sort of warning, it pays to honor it and step away. One of the key things to remember is that we should strive to nurture relationships with people who build us up, support us and make us feel secure—and if that’s not the nature of a certain relationship, then it might be best to receding. After all, if someone isn’t making us a better person, then why spend our time there?

All in all, it’s important to remember that nothing is ever irreparable, and while it’s normal to experience negative aspects of relationships, it’s also important to seek out healthy relationships that nurture us, rather than amplify the toxic emanations of a disorder. Remember — it’s always our choice how we approach relationships, and psychological health starts with understanding the importance of rejecting toxic interactions that can have a profoundly damaging effect on ourselves and others.