As a child, did your parents or grandparents ever tell you to watch the crowd you run with at school? Have you ever got a bag of apples at the grocery store, and one of them had some decay on the outside of it? If you don’t remove this apple from the rest of them, it won’t be long until the toxins rub off onto the other apples, and it will destroy the whole bunch.

Toxic people can rob your happiness, but you have the power to stop it. These folks have a unique way of making even the most positive things seem adverse. It doesn’t matter what you do, where you go, or what’s going on; they will find a way to let their toxic nature bring you down.

The reason these people are so lethal is that they’re overflowing with both hate and negativity. Sadly, there’s not just one type of poisonous individual that you must be looking for, as there are several types that can affect you.

Nine Types of Toxic People That Will Rob Your Happiness

According to the National Library of Medicine, the negativity you ingest has a powerful impact on your psyche. It’s more powerful than anything positive that you take in. For every negative thing that’s planted in your mind, it takes five times the positive things to counteract it.

Now, you see why it’s so easy for others to rob your happiness, but you need to be proactive about your inner circle. To help you out, here are nine types of people that you should avoid at all costs.

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1. The Overly Critical One

There is no perfect person on planet earth, as everyone has flaws that make them unique. It’s okay to receive constructive criticism when it’s done in love, but if someone is flat-out criticizing you, then it’s negativity you don’t need. The problem with someone who focuses on the negativity is that they don’t look at all your positive attributes.

It’s not always a spouse who puts you down either. It can be your parents, siblings, friends, neighbors, or anyone you encounter daily. Wave goodbye to the person who never has anything nice to say about you or your methods.

The real issue is that if you ingest this negativity into your being, it won’t be long before your self-esteem suffers. The last thing you need is to believe the untruths they feed you, as they’re nothing more than lies. The overly critical person will rob your happiness if you allow them to.

2. The Selife Taker

Nearly everyone in the free world takes a selfie on occasion, and there’s nothing wrong with it. However, spending all their time and energy trying to get the perfect pose shows very narcissistic behaviors. These people are often eager to make sure what they look like on the outside is good; they often forget that what’s inside is what counts.

An individual obsessed with catching themselves in a picture-perfect pose shows signs of being self-absorbed and vain. They may never say a word, but their personality speaks volumes as their toxicity comes shining through.

3. The Condescending Can Rob Your Happiness

When you’re all fired up about a situation, the worst thing that someone can tell you is to calm down. You’re not a child, and you don’t need someone to chastise you and tell you how to act. Sure, if you’re overdramatic, it’s not a good look for you, but it’s still your right to feel and act how you want.

Someone who casually tries to get you to calm down when you’re upset is treating you like a child. Their behavior is extremely condescending, and they want you to be quiet. It could be that you’re embarrassing them, or they don’t want to hear what you have to say.

4. Self-Destructive Individuals

Do you have a friend that is in constant need of your support, but when the tables are turned and you need help, they’re nowhere to be found? This is a very toxic relationship that is never going to change. They want you to be at their beck and call, but they don’t have time when you need assistance.

They have 101 excuses for why they can’t be there for you, but the whole world must stop when they have a problem. You need someone who is there for you just as much as you are for them. Relationships should be 50/50, and if they’re anything less, it won’t work, and you need to move on.

5. Mansplainers (or Womansplainers!)

Mansplainers (or womansplainers for that matter!) are the ones who can grate on your nerves. Indeed, these folks can easily rob your happiness. They’re, no doubt, the most toxic of all people. They want to share their wisdom with you, but they don’t know your situation more than the next person. These people exist in every facet of life, but you must turn around and walk away from these toxic individuals.

These are the type of people who seem to have all the answers, and they’re never wrong. They make you feel like you want to pull your hair out and punch a hole in the wall but steer clear of them. The “know it all” type is never fun to spend an evening with, let alone be in a romantic relationship.

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6. Conversational Narcissists

Is there anything worse than someone who dominates and hogs a conversation? You’re trying to explain things in your life and what’s going on, and the whole time they keep interrupting you to talk about their details. The fine art of conversation is something that some people will never get a knack for.

The conversational narcissists can’t imagine that anything you have to say could be more critical than the happenings in their life. They believe the sun and the moon revolve around their being, so this self-absorbed person is quite complicated to handle.

7. Jealous Individuals

It’s normal and healthy to have a little bit of jealousy in a relationship. According to an article on Psych Central, it’s also expected when you’re in love. However, the green-eyed monster can rear its ugly head and give you a lot of trouble.

These people are a different breed, as they can make you feel insecure and reduce your self-worth. Their tactic is to make themselves feel better, and the only way they can do this is to make you feel like trash.

Someone who is a true friend will never be jealous of your accomplishments in life. They will be happy for what you gain, and they will be by your side cheering you on. If you encounter someone who seems to hate everything you do and achieve in life, run the other way.

Do you need their dark shadow of negativity hanging over you? Don’t let the jealous person rob your happiness and make you miserable.

8. The Chronic Pessimist

Of all the people on this list, the constantly pessimistic people in life will rob your happiness quicker than anyone. This person dwells in negativity, and you won’t hear anything positive come out of their mouth. When someone lives in pessimism, it tends to cause depression.

This person may suffer from hopelessness, and it can be mentally draining on you. Keep in mind that there’s an acceptable amount of negativity that you can encounter without affecting you too much. Still, when someone hides behind such negative emotions, they don’t enjoy all the beauty around them.

Life is not a dark and ominous thing, but this person will do anything to steal your joy to bring you down to their depressive level. Will you let them rob your happiness?

9. Gossipers Will Rob Your Happiness

Gossipers are two-faced individuals. Remember that if they’re talking about someone else to you, then they’re telling your problems to someone else. Gossipers are pros at pulling people down to their level, and they often have malicious intentions.

They can act like the nicest person in the world, but as soon as you turn your back, they will stick the knife in it. You don’t need someone pretending to be your friend, as life is too short to mess with fake folks.

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Final Thoughts on Staying Clear of People Who Rob Your Happiness

Do you recognize any of these toxic people in your life? These are the folks that will rob your happiness and cause you a great deal of pain. If you want to be happy and fulfilled, you must surround yourself with an inner circle that sees the glass as half full rather than half empty.

It’s challenging to stay away from toxic people when they’re your family, neighbors, and friends you’ve had for years. However, you need to cut the ties to these folks if you value your sanity. These folks like to create problems and complicated situations no matter where they are at.