{"id":932,"date":"2022-05-04T15:05:05","date_gmt":"2022-05-04T15:05:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/powerofmisfits.com\/?p=932"},"modified":"2022-12-27T12:40:08","modified_gmt":"2022-12-27T12:40:08","slug":"stay-away-from-negative-people","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/powerofmisfits.com\/communication\/stay-away-from-negative-people\/","title":{"rendered":"7 No-Nonsense Reasons to Stay Away from Negative People"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>We often hear the advice to stay away from negative people. But why is it a good piece of advice that we should follow? It turns out that there are good reasons to <a href=\"https:\/\/powerofmisfits.com\/personality\/socially-selective-person-signs\/\">be picky about your social connections<\/a>, with some of them being backed by scientific studies.<\/p>\n<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_64 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-grey ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title \" >Table of Contents<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><a href=\"#\" class=\"ez-toc-pull-right ez-toc-btn ez-toc-btn-xs ez-toc-btn-default ez-toc-toggle\" aria-label=\"Toggle Table of Content\"><span class=\"ez-toc-js-icon-con\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #222222;color:#222222\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #222222;color:#222222\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/powerofmisfits.com\/communication\/stay-away-from-negative-people\/#Why_You_Should_Stay_Away_from_Negative_People\" title=\"Why You Should Stay Away from Negative People\">Why You Should Stay Away from Negative People<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/powerofmisfits.com\/communication\/stay-away-from-negative-people\/#1_Negativity_is_powerful\" title=\"1. Negativity is powerful\">1. Negativity is powerful<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/powerofmisfits.com\/communication\/stay-away-from-negative-people\/#2_Negativity_is_contagious\" title=\"2. Negativity is contagious\">2. Negativity is contagious<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/powerofmisfits.com\/communication\/stay-away-from-negative-people\/#3_They_kill_your_belief_in_good_things\" title=\"3. They kill your belief in good things\">3. They kill your belief in good things<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/powerofmisfits.com\/communication\/stay-away-from-negative-people\/#4_They_destroy_your_self-esteem\" title=\"4. They destroy your self-esteem\">4. They destroy your self-esteem<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/powerofmisfits.com\/communication\/stay-away-from-negative-people\/#5_They_are_dream_killers\" title=\"5. They are dream killers\">5. They are dream killers<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-7\" href=\"https:\/\/powerofmisfits.com\/communication\/stay-away-from-negative-people\/#6_They_belittle_your_achievements\" title=\"6. They belittle your achievements\">6. They belittle your achievements<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-8\" href=\"https:\/\/powerofmisfits.com\/communication\/stay-away-from-negative-people\/#7_They_stop_you_from_enjoying_life\" title=\"7. They stop you from enjoying life\">7. They stop you from enjoying life<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-9\" href=\"https:\/\/powerofmisfits.com\/communication\/stay-away-from-negative-people\/#What_to_Keep_in_Mind_When_Distancing_Yourself_from_Negative_People\" title=\"What to Keep in Mind When Distancing Yourself from Negative People\">What to Keep in Mind When Distancing Yourself from Negative People<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Why_You_Should_Stay_Away_from_Negative_People\"><\/span>Why You Should Stay Away from Negative People<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"1_Negativity_is_powerful\"><\/span>1. Negativity is powerful<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/assets.csom.umn.edu\/assets\/71516.pdf\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Research<\/a> demonstrates that negative experiences have a greater emotional impact on us than positive ones. Bad impressions are quicker to form and more difficult to change.<\/p>\n<p>It means that the emotions you feel as a result of being criticized, judged, or mocked will stick with you more than those felt during happy experiences.<\/p>\n<p>Therefore, if you are surrounded by bitter or <a href=\"https:\/\/powerofmisfits.com\/personality\/judgemental-people-traits\/\">judgmental people<\/a>, you put yourself in a constant flow of negative emotions that are not easy to get rid of.<\/p>\n<p>The truth is that negativity is powerful, so you should be careful about the people who thrive on it.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"2_Negativity_is_contagious\"><\/span>2. Negativity is contagious<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Another reason to stay away from such people is the fact that negative thinking can be contagious, and studies confirm it.<\/p>\n<p>Researchers at Indiana University <a href=\"https:\/\/academic.oup.com\/jcr\/article-abstract\/34\/3\/395\/1798912?redirectedFrom=fulltext\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">studied<\/a> consumer attitudes to products and found that negative feedback influenced the participants\u2019 attitudes the most. Negative opinions shifted their attitudes from good to bad and from bad to worst.<\/p>\n<p>For example, you talk to a negative co-worker every day during a lunch break. Lately, she&#8217;s been busy criticizing a new employee for her looks, outfits, and professional qualities. At some point, you find yourself having a negative opinion about this new employee even though she seemed like a nice person when you first met her.<\/p>\n<p>This is how it works, and we are not always aware of adopting someone else\u2019s ideas and views. Negative opinions and emotions are highly contagious, so consider this fact when building your social circle.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"3_They_kill_your_belief_in_good_things\"><\/span>3. They kill your belief in good things<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Even if a negative person in your life doesn\u2019t focus their bitterness on you, their attitude still affects your perception. You may not even realize it, but it happens.<\/p>\n<p>For example, a friend of yours may constantly complain about other people and the unfair treatment he gets at work. You listen to him once, you listen to him twice. If you <a href=\"https:\/\/powerofmisfits.com\/mind\/you-are-who-you-hang-out-with\/\">hang out with him<\/a> for long enough, you may find yourself relating to his complaints more and more.<\/p>\n<p>With time, your negative friend can program your mind into believing that most people are evil and life is utterly unfair. A healthy dose of realism is a must, but having your beliefs in good things killed is a different story.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"4_They_destroy_your_self-esteem\"><\/span>4. They destroy your self-esteem<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-437\" src=\"https:\/\/powerofmisfits.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/not-feeling-good-enough.jpg\" alt=\"not feeling good enough\" width=\"1200\" height=\"800\" srcset=\"https:\/\/powerofmisfits.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/not-feeling-good-enough.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/powerofmisfits.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/not-feeling-good-enough-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/powerofmisfits.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/not-feeling-good-enough-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/powerofmisfits.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/not-feeling-good-enough-768x512.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Another key reason to stay away from negative people is that they destroy your self-esteem. It is particularly important if you have insecurities or are a sensitive person who tends to take things personally.<\/p>\n<p>Different people make us feel different things about ourselves. We light up with the right people and get down in the wrong company. Someone can make us feel powerful, happy, and loved while someone else leaves us <a href=\"https:\/\/powerofmisfits.com\/mind\/feeling-invisible-causes\/\">feeling invisible and small<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Beware of the people who make you feel bad about yourself. It\u2019s better to stay away from them because they are killing your self-esteem. Ultimately, hanging out with such people will cost you self-confidence and take a toll on your mental well-being.<\/p>\n<p>Yes, someone in your circle may be a little negative or sarcastic, but it\u2019s not okay if they constantly criticize you or belittle your opinions and aspirations.<\/p>\n<p>You may think that it\u2019s natural for friends to make fun of one another, so you shouldn\u2019t take certain behaviors seriously. But if your friend makes mean jokes and demeaning comments \u201cjust for fun\u201d over and over again, then it means that <a href=\"https:\/\/powerofmisfits.com\/communication\/signs-your-friend-doesnt-respect-you\/\">they just don\u2019t respect you<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>You need to learn to recognize people who thrive on putting others down. Listen to your feelings when you hang out with a negative friend or co-worker. If you doubt yourself and feel small and silly in their company, then distancing yourself from them is the best idea.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"5_They_are_dream_killers\"><\/span>5. They are dream killers<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Making dreams and plans is what motivates you to become a better person and move forward in life. Maybe you seek to fulfill your purpose or turn your hobby into a job. You begin to believe in yourself and your dreams are getting more and more tangible.<\/p>\n<p>But all your aspirations can be easily shattered by a single person\u2019s negativity.<\/p>\n<p>For example, your overly critical and negative parents may convince you that you should \u2018drop the nonsense\u2019 and follow your brother\u2019s example in choosing a profession. They say you should study to be a physician, just like he did. But you know that this is not what you would like to do with your life.<\/p>\n<p>Still, your parents\u2019 words plant doubts in your mind and you begin to question your dreams and, ultimately, yourself.<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>What if I fail? What if my idea is stupid? Maybe it\u2019s better to do what they say?<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>Conforming to others\u2019 expectations is one of the greatest regrets people have. That\u2019s why you should stay away from negative people who mock your dreams and aspirations.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"6_They_belittle_your_achievements\"><\/span>6. They belittle your achievements<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-794\" src=\"https:\/\/powerofmisfits.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/why-are-people-so-judgemental.jpg\" alt=\"why are people so judgemental\" width=\"500\" height=\"750\" srcset=\"https:\/\/powerofmisfits.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/why-are-people-so-judgemental.jpg 500w, https:\/\/powerofmisfits.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/why-are-people-so-judgemental-200x300.jpg 200w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Negative people don\u2019t just kill your dreams, but they also diminish what you\u2019ve already accomplished in life.<\/p>\n<p>Negativity can stem from many different sources. Oftentimes, someone with a negative attitude is just bitter and envious of others.<\/p>\n<p>They feel like life has been unfair to them because they don\u2019t have what other people do. So, they prefer to dwell on negativity and criticism because it distracts them from their own failures.<\/p>\n<p>Negative people of this type can get passive-aggressive and make you feel guilty about your achievements. They are just unable to be happy for you.<\/p>\n<p>For instance, you are telling your cousin about the promotion you got. Instead of saying some kind words to congratulate you, he begins to moan about his job and the evil guys who stopped him from getting a promotion too.<\/p>\n<p>A negative person often makes passive-aggressive remarks about someone else\u2019s success, for example:<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>Well-done. I wish I had such an opportunity when I was younger.<\/p>\n<p>Good for you. Not everyone is that lucky.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>No need to say that these kinds of comments take away the power of your success, no matter how big it is. You suddenly feel stupid and humbled, like what you achieved is not a big deal.<\/p>\n<p>That\u2019s why it\u2019s a good idea to stay away from negative people who belittle your accomplishments.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"7_They_stop_you_from_enjoying_life\"><\/span>7. They stop you from enjoying life<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Do you have a person in your life whose presence is exhausting? You feel tired after spending time with them and they seem to take away all the fun from any social gathering.<\/p>\n<p>Maybe they are too dry, judgmental, or bitter. Maybe they speak ill of others all the time or focus on negatives in any situation. Sometimes you can\u2019t even put a finger on the behavior or trait that makes such individuals <a href=\"https:\/\/powerofmisfits.com\/mind\/introvert-hangover-social-battery-drained\/\">so draining<\/a>. In any case, they bring everyone down.<\/p>\n<p>Staying away from negative people makes sense when you feel tired and empty after hanging out with them.<\/p>\n<p>These personalities don\u2019t bring anything valuable to your life, so you\u2019d better distance yourself from them before they poison you with their negativity. Life is too short to surround yourself with people who don&#8217;t let you enjoy it.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_to_Keep_in_Mind_When_Distancing_Yourself_from_Negative_People\"><\/span>What to Keep in Mind When Distancing Yourself from Negative People<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-795\" src=\"https:\/\/powerofmisfits.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/distancing-yourself.jpg\" alt=\"distancing yourself\" width=\"1000\" height=\"656\" srcset=\"https:\/\/powerofmisfits.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/distancing-yourself.jpg 1000w, https:\/\/powerofmisfits.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/distancing-yourself-300x197.jpg 300w, https:\/\/powerofmisfits.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/distancing-yourself-768x504.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>It&#8217;s easy to burn bridges, but it&#8217;s important to consider a few things before <a href=\"https:\/\/powerofmisfits.com\/communication\/quotes-about-cutting-people-off\/\">cutting ties<\/a> with a negative person in your life.<\/p>\n<p>As we said above, negativity can have many different roots. And sometimes people don\u2019t mean to be bitter \u2013 they are just going through a tough time and are dealing with issues of their own.<\/p>\n<p>After all, it\u2019s impossible to stay positive 24\/7, unlike what many people believe. False positivity can be even more harmful than negativity, making you suppress your emotions and lose touch with reality.<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s also important to differentiate between being realistic and being negative. Often, your friends or parents are just trying to save you from <a href=\"https:\/\/powerofmisfits.com\/communication\/feeling-disappointed-in-people\/\">disappointment<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Therefore, you need to make sure that you don\u2019t end up avoiding the truth in your attempt to stay away from negativity.<\/p>\n<p>So, how to know the difference and figure out who should stay in your social circle and who should go?<\/p>\n<p>Listen to your emotional responses when you are with someone. If they make you feel bad about yourself and pessimistic in general whenever you meet up with them, this is a <a href=\"https:\/\/powerofmisfits.com\/communication\/signs-you-should-stay-away-from-someone\/\">strong sign that you should stay away from them<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s especially true when a friend or co-worker belittles you in any way, even if it\u2019s supposed to be for fun or \u201cfor your own good\u201d. They are clearly a bad influence, so it\u2019s better to stay away from that negative person.<\/p>\n<p>Otherwise, your friend\u2019s pessimism is probably temporary, and instead of accusing them of being bitter, you should give them some emotional support and a listening ear.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>We often hear the advice to stay away from negative people. But why is it a good piece of advice that we should follow? It turns out that there are good reasons to be picky about your social connections, with some of them being backed by scientific studies. Why You Should Stay Away from Negative &#8230; <a title=\"7 No-Nonsense Reasons to Stay Away from Negative People\" class=\"read-more\" href=\"https:\/\/powerofmisfits.com\/communication\/stay-away-from-negative-people\/\" aria-label=\"Read more about 7 No-Nonsense Reasons to Stay Away from Negative People\">Read more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":933,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[32],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/powerofmisfits.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/932"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/powerofmisfits.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/powerofmisfits.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/powerofmisfits.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/powerofmisfits.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=932"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/powerofmisfits.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/932\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":935,"href":"https:\/\/powerofmisfits.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/932\/revisions\/935"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/powerofmisfits.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/933"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/powerofmisfits.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=932"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/powerofmisfits.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=932"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/powerofmisfits.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=932"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}