Interesting Psychology Team
6 – They’re Poor Listeners
One-sided conversations are no fun, but when you’re with a fake person, that’s exactly how most discussions tend to be. They dominate the conversation, and when you try to get a word in, they usually cut you off.
They need to be the center of attention, so they don’t have time to really listen to you. Authentic people engage in two-way communication. They ask questions because they genuinely want to know the answer.
Fake people, on the other hand, often just ask for the sake of asking. They’re generally uninterested in whatever your response is, so they rarely recall things you’ve said. They may even respond inappropriately because they aren’t paying attention, or they just move onto another question or topic altogether.
7 – They Talk About Other People
Fake people love to tear others down almost as much as they like to build themselves up. Even worse, they often attack people when those people aren’t around to defend themselves. Phonies are quick to point out others’ flaws, and they love to spread gossip.
They also like to play the victim in their versions of stories, and there’s usually someone who gets portrayed as the evil villain.
8 – They’re Emotionally Distant
Phony people can’t stand to be emotionally vulnerable. To protect themselves, they usually don’t share their feelings and they avoid sharing revealing personal things about themselves. They may make generalizations about certain things like saying that they don’t get mad, but unless they’re a robot, that simply cannot be true.
We all experience emotions, even those negative ones, so to say otherwise is definitely fake. If you’re observant, you might notice that even their smile is fake.
9 – It’s All About Convenience
Fake people think the world revolves around them, and that they count on you to fall in line with the rest of the world. They get to dictate when you’ll meet, where you’ll meet, and what you’ll do, and it will all be what’s most convenient for them.
Unfortunately, they regard you as nothing more than a tool to help them get what they want. They have no desire to be your genuine friend, since all they care about is what you can do for them. They may agree to something or offer assistance, but they won’t actually be there unless they’re going to benefit from the situation.
The Final Note:
Based on this list, you might think fake people aren’t really the types of people you want to associate with. And you would be right. Watch out though, because they’re everywhere.
Their behavior is usually the result of some childhood or other trauma which has caused them to develop these defense mechanisms to protect themselves.
They might have been neglected in the past and think that no one will look out for them, so they have to do it themselves in these less than desirable ways. Deep down, they could also fear that they won’t have real relationships, so they use people to get what they want before they get hurt. Sometimes you can spot a fake person from a mile away.
Other times, it’s not so easy. But be careful when you start to see these signs. You don’t want to let just anyone into your inner circle, and fake people are ones you definitely want to keep out.
What do you think? Do any of these sounds like someone you know? Have you ever met someone who seemed nice, only to find out that they were not the person you thought they were? Let us know in the comments.
