December 16, 2024
Dr. El-Shaimaa Talaat Abumandour

Although kindness and caring are the common sense of humans, nowadays, due to our speed of life and hard circumstances, kindness and passion become very rare. Of course, there is no excuse for dealing with others in rude and selfish manners, but sometimes a person passes through a hard day, so he/she, unintentionally, treats someone in a tough way. Unfortunately, the problem is this behavior is contagious, and it will keep transmitting from one person to another, enlarging the misery cycle. Human psychology is very complicated, and dealing with people requires using emotional intelligence techniques and methods cleverly. Toxic characters include the manipulators, self-centered, drama creators, dishonest, lack of confidence, etc. These characters could be your friend, relative, coworker, or else.

Manipulators are the type of people who have a tendency to act like a victim, believe it, and gain others’ compassion and support. They do this by shifting blame to others or upon different circumstances. From my experience, this type of person has no empathy for others and never cares for anyone but himself or herself. If you know someone with this personality type, I encourage you to deal with him/her very carefully and intelligently.

On the other side, bad behavior does not have to be manipulation, abuse, lies, or disrespect. It could include greedy behavior or “taking relationships without giving”. Taking others for granted is a damaging feeling, which leaves a person emotionally drained. I believe that cutting such people is not the right solution. The right solution is to stand up for yourself and show them that you refuse their ways. Offer them a hand of help if they really need it, with caution and without letting yourself be caught in their net. Although dealing with toxic personalities is not a very pleasant experience yet, it does not have to ruin your day, work, or life. Always try to set boundaries and defend your values. Make sure not to sacrifice your inner peace by dealing with such characters. At the same time, try to be tolerant and kind, as kindness is contagious too. One kind word could change one’s mood and could help someone to change and become better.