We celebrate Friendships Days everyday, right? Well, while we celebrate brotherhood or brohood (Barney would appreciate!), a kind of friend we didn’t talk about, though these friends make up for the biggest portion in your “Friends” pie chart, are the toxic ones. As soon as you read those two words, “toxic friends”, do you visualize some people who you call friends? Well, those guys are your party-poopers, and here when I say party, I mean life! If you couldn’t think of anyone like that, then probably many people have you on their list of toxic friends! #Burn
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These folks are the worst, like they are worse than people who want only bad things to happen to you; oh wait, the two are the same people! If you have found your way to this article in a desperate attempt to get rid of this leech of a friend from your life, I salute you, and promise you that by the end of this post, you will know exactly how to kick this person out of your life.
Suggested read: #AstroSpeak Are You A People Pleaser? Here’s What Your Zodiac Says
Why are these friends called toxic people? Are we going to get into the epistemology now!? Well, the basic reason why this species of friends is called toxic is because they poison every single thing in your life. I am not exaggerating. If you look closely, then you can see harmful radiations coming out of their body. I know because I have x-ray vision, but don’t you worry; you won’t need to develop that to identify your lethal pals (No, it is not a cool name for your gang!); I will give you signs that I have uncovered, after years of tolerating utter BS and crap.
How to spot a toxic friend? (Why are we still calling them friends?!)
Here are some signs you got to look out for:
- These folks are flaky, but they only cancel plans that you have made. (Not true even in their flakiness!)
- They b*tch about you endlessly.
- They are backstabbers. Et tu, Brute?
- They crack jokes, but all at your expense.
- They treat you the way you would never treat someone else.
- They are the most discouraging people in the entire universe. Yes, they are more pessimistic that people who claim every year that the earth’s expiry date has arrived!
- They make you feel intellectually and emotionally violated.
- They rob you of not just good thoughts, but also money.
- They claim that they are your best friends, when you know you cannot call them at every 4 p.m.
Now that you know who those toxic buddies are, you can dive into the next section where I will discuss how to get rid of toxic friends.
How to get rid of toxic friends
The most difficult thing about cutting off a friend who is toxic is that he or she won’t let you do that. Ya, basically you cannot go to them and reason with them; you cannot tell them how difficult it is for you to swallow their negativity, and that they should let you be in peace. No, once you say that, they will stick on to you like blood suckers! So, how do we go about it? How do we get rid of them? By getting them to dump us! 😉
OK, how do we do that? How do we get them to move on and poison someone else’s life? Ya, I am evil like that!
Here are some easy steps you can follow:
1. Refuse to yield
This comes first. Toxic people think what is good for them, ought to be good for everyone else. You may have noticed that usually you end up doing what this friend wants to do; go to the parties they want to go to; the concerts they have picked; even, the brunch place they think is pretty cool to hang out in, through the day.
From today, just say no to all their suggestions. And then, suggest places of your own (Google Maps will come in handy). They are very unlikely to listen to you, because it hits their pride to take no for an answer and then go with someone else’s suggestion. They will vacate, and you won’t see them for days.
2. Disagree with them constantly
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Toxic folks believe they are always right. Hit them where it hurts them the most; question their decisions and their opinions. That will work as huge blow to their pride, it will be difficult of them to be with someone like you (Ya, right!).
3 Put your needs first
To get rid of a toxic friend from your life, you need to get your priorities straight. For you, you need to come first. Start by putting your needs over theirs. Stop sacrificing your day for their sake, because honesty, it is not worth it.
To get rid of your toxic friend, stop lending yourself as their punching bag. Worried about them being alone!? Cut. It. Out. Also, they will never be alone; they will find a follower. Ya, life is unfair like that!
4. Stop them from talking badly about others
Toxic people love gossiping and b*tching. That’s what makes them toxic, right? So whenever you hear them puking on someone’s reputation, stop them in their tracks.
This person is a monster, and you know that to get rid of a monster, you need to stop feeding it. Stop lending your ears to your toxic friend, and see how the find a new target. Be the Antony to this bunch of Roman Senators who are planning to stab every Caesar they meet!
5. Question them
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Toxic people cannot deal with being called out. They expect everyone to accept whatever BS they are saying. That is how they choose their friend circle; full of folks who either lack the brains or the b*lls to call them out. Ouch! Did that hurt!?
Anyway, so to get rid of this chap, you need to question them about every single thing they say or believe in, and see how they disappear into thin air.
Suggested read: Guilt Trips And Relationships: A Toxic Combination
6. Introduce your vampire to a better host
I know you are judging me right now, but hear me out, will ya? A toxic friend is a parasite, and one of the only ways to deal with them is to find a better host for them. Now you have the power to choose this host, right, so why not introduce this toxic friend to another toxic friend, hmm? That way you get rid of both of them, and live happily ever after!
Misery loves company, they say, and the same is true for toxic. Let these johnnies sit together and talk about how much they hate everyone, while these people can go and enjoy their lives! With this move, you might even win a Nobel Peace Prize, I am telling you!
7. Go to them for help
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If you are not willing to sacrifice anyone, or do not have another toxic friend to introduce to this toxic friend (huh!), then this step might help. Toxic people, in general, hate offering help, which basically means, they only believe in help as long as they are on the receiving end. (Ugh!)
You don’t have to change this bad habit of theirs (who the hell are you!?), but rather, use it to your advantage. Start asking for help from them at the drop of a hat, and see how they switch on to a different team.
8. Befriend the people your toxic friend hates
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Toxic people are very decisive; they know who they like and who they don’t. So to get rid of them, just befriend a couple of people who are on your toxic friend’s “Hate ‘em” list. If I know your toxic friend well, then you will have plenty of names to choose from.
Here’s the logic behind this move: Toxic people like obey-ers. Once you start becoming friends with the people they don’t like, you will be on their renegade list, and will soon get promoted to their “hate ‘em” list.
9. Stop being afraid
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Oh, c’mon! Being likeable to a toxic person, only shows the kind of loser you are. No, I am not going to be kind to you, if you don’t have the guts to be kind to yourself. You love yourself, right? Can’t hear you! DO YOU LOVE YOURSELF? Don’t tell me show me, by getting rid of this person right now!
Suggested read: Save Yourself: 10 Types Of Toxic Relationships You MUST Avoid
That is all we have on today’s post on how to get rid of toxic friends. Was this helpful? Will you be recommending it to others too? If you have some suggestions that you would like to share with us, then please do so in the comment section below.
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See you again tomorrow!
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