Save Yourself from These 6 Types of Negative People

Sometimes the people around us can be hurting us without us even realizing it and that is why it's so hard to leave them behind. As soon as you become aware of the problem, try to keep your distance.
Save Yourself from These 6 Types of Negative People

Written by Okairy Zuñiga

Last update: 26 May, 2022

It’s easy to find yourself surrounded by people who might not be the best company for you. You’d probably like to surround yourself with people who help you grow, value you and are a positive influence in your life. However, the reality is quite different. The truth is that there are people you may want to stay away from in order to move forward.

Here are some of the types of people to stay away from who could hurt you, in general. While everyone may have their own types of people to stay away from, there are certain profiles that are worth paying attention to.

People to stay away from

Even if this is relative to each person, the truth is that we should consider certain types of people from whom it’s generally advisable to stay away.

Negative people to stay away from.

1. Negative critics

It’s normal to receive criticism now and then, both positive and negative. However, some of the people you should avoid are individuals who always have a reason to criticize how you act and what you say or do.

When someone doesn’t feel good about their own lives, they’re never satisfied with what they’ve done or they feel like failures, they tend to unconsciously bring you down to their level.

By damaging your self-esteem and confidence, these people make it impossible to move forward and reach your goals. Critical people are often cruel and don’t care if they hurt you.

2. Manipulators

Another type of person that you should stay away from are manipulators, however, they’re often difficult to identify. This is because they’re incredibly skilled at using all sorts of tricks to get what they want.

They generally avoid any drama that would expose their intentions. They’ll simply try to manipulate your emotions to make you feel guilty or to blame you for certain things. This is even easier for them if you’re a kind and sensitive person because they’ll see you as someone weaker than them.

This type of people prevents you from achieving your own goals by always keeping you busy with their own. So, you need to get away from these people as soon as possible, or at least maintain a safe distance from them.

3. Liars

Lies happen every day, but when someone you care about lies to you on a regular basis, it’s clear that they have no respect for you. This type of person that you should avoid often has problems identifying the magnitude and impact their lies have on others. In fact, most of them don’t even realize they’re lying. Don’t feel guilty about cutting them out of your life.

4. Pessimists

Pessimism is a state of mind that can make any situation, whatever it may be, seem negative. Pessimists are negative people that you should do your best to avoid. They see the downside of everything.

They always have an opinion that will put you in the worst possible mindset. What’s worse, the majority of the time, it’s the pessimistic person causing the horrible situations to happen in the first place.

Regardless of the thousands of solutions you have to offer, a pessimist will always find something wrong. Having them in your life is exhausting.

5. Stingy people

Stinginess is one of the worst defects a human being can have. Stingy people always find an excuse not to give a helping hand. We’re not just talking about material or financial resources here. They simply have no intention of helping others.

They’re not selfish; stinginess is often mislabeled as selfishness. These people always need help from others and look for ways to profit in any situation.

Stingy people are the friends who love going out with you, but when the check comes, they always manage to find a way out of paying.

6. Gossipers

Gossipers: negative people to avoid.

The last types of negative people that you should avoid are gossipers. The fact that they always talk about others shows that they harbor some sort of insecurity in themselves. These types of people don’t know how to distinguish between speculation and miscommunication.

Gossipers can hurt a lot of people if they’re not careful. Spending time with someone who’s prone to gossiping ruins the way other people see you. It may even cause problems for you and make unnecessary enemies. Besides, nothing assures you that they’re not talking bad about you behind your back.

Watch out for negative people

There are a lot more types of negative people that could hurt you if you’re not careful. If you identify with any of these behaviors, now’s your chance to do something for yourself and those around you.

In any case, we recommend you to surround yourself with good and nice people, who don’t seek to harm others and who bring good things into your life.


All cited sources were thoroughly reviewed by our team to ensure their quality, reliability, currency, and validity. The bibliography of this article was considered reliable and of academic or scientific accuracy.


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  • Cantopher, T. (2017). Toxic People: Dealing With Dysfunctional Relationships. Hachette UK.
  • Sterne, N. (2016). How to Handle Toxic People Who Ruin Your Project. Women in Higher Education, 25(1), 8-10.

This text is provided for informational purposes only and does not replace consultation with a professional. If in doubt, consult your specialist.