Have you noticed how you are always surrounded by more people when things are going downhill than when you are over the moon from happiness? That’s the perfect way to tell if someone is jealous of you.
Some people are emotional leeches and they find comfort in your pain. It’s easier for them to stand by your side and support you when your world is falling apart.
It’s easier because they find solace in your pain. They compare your life with theirs and they are glad that they are not the only ones who have it rough.
It’s sad but it’s true. There are people out there who find comfort in your pain, who are envious of your success, who are unable to be happy for you when you are doing great because they are unhappy themselves at that moment. We all get a bit jealous at times.
It’s a human thing. But most of us are more than willing and ready to support our friends regardless of our personal lives.
It’s not always easy to recognize the symptoms of jealous friends. They become masters in concealing it.
They might not even be conscious of doing it so they wouldn’t even admit it to themselves.
1. They give bad advice
It’s not always that they want something bad to happen to you, it’s just that they don’t care about your current troubles. They are there but they are not really listening to you.
They might even go so far as to tell you something that will make you doubt other people or your decisions. They are not interested in you adding more to your bliss.
It’s because misery loves company. If they don’t have your best interests at heart, they aren’t your friends. Period.
2. They give false compliments
You can recognize their fake smile when they tell you something looks good on you.
You can see their voice changes its tone when they congratulate you.
They unwillingly give you compliments because they feel they have to so that you and other people around you wouldn’t notice that their compliments aren’t genuine.
3. They look down on your achievements
The thing that haunts them the most is when your success and good fortune gets into this chain reaction and starts multiplying.
When this happens, they want to make themself feel better by downplaying your achievements.
They will say you just got lucky and they won’t admit that you put a lot of hard work and effort in to get where you are.
4. They wrap up insults with compliments
More often than not, every compliment they give has an insult hidden underneath. They are filled with sarcastic remarks.
They don’t give you compliments to make you feel better, they are aiming for that bitter taste in your mouth after you hear them.
5. They give you a fake smile
They go overboard in their attempts to come off as friendly but the grin on their face is so fake that everybody can see it.
It actually hurts their face to laugh that much but they do it anyway because it’s a way of trying to hide their true feelings.
6. They overemphasize their achievements
On the other hand, every tiny win they achieve for themselves will be blown out of proportion and will be bigger than any you ever made so far.
You both know that’s not true but you are a humble person who doesn’t get anything for self-praise or undervaluing somebody else. So you stay silent and listen to their fairy tales.
See also:Harsh But True Signs That Your Friendship is Toxic
7. They are overly competitive
This is related to the two previous signs. They just want to outrun you every single time, so they try their hardest to undervalue you.
If they can’t do anything else, they start picking on your flaws or making them up as they go, simply because they want to feel better and more successful than you.
8. They get offended when you make plans without them
God forbid if you make other plans without them, especially with some of your other friends that they don’t seem to click really well with. They will hold a grudge against you for forever if you do this.
This happens because of their fear of missing out on something good or exciting that might happen while they are not present. Because of this, they start to feel like a burden on your shoulders.
9. They try to sabotage your other relationships
When they are with you, they will tell you one side of the story, and as soon as you leave their sight and they are with some of your other friends or acquaintances, they will tell them something to trash you.
They will put words in your mouth that you never said. They don’t like you having people in your life so they will most probably try to find a way to discredit you.
10. Generally, they talk behind your back
They won’t hesitate to tell lies and spread rumors about you. Pay close attention if they are gossiping about other people in front of you, as they will most likely do the same to you when they are with different people.
The good thing about rumors is that they go away quickly and that they will find their way to your ears.
Once you learn about this, you will know who started that rumor and who deserves to leave your life permanently.
11. They like your face the best when it’s filled with shame
Any humiliating or bad story they know about will be shared among mutual friends.
They will even say it in front of you and disguise it by saying they didn’t mean to disrespect you (oh but they did) but they found it amusing, something funny to entertain the crowds.
They just can’t stand to watch you thriving in life so they would say just about anything about you.
Be careful whom you tell your secrets to. If you don’t want them out in the open, a jealous friend isn’t the right listener.
12. Nothing makes them happier than to see you fail
They won’t be obvious about it but they will have a little celebratory dance inside when your luck runs out. They have been waiting for that moment for so long.
In their petty little minds, this proves that they are better than you. They could also find joy in having someone to share their misery with.
Don’t let them discourage you. Life is full of ups and downs and you will get back on track anyway.
If you had ever wondered how to tell if someone is jealous, I hope you found the answer in these signs. Jealous people have no place in your life. They will constantly try to bring you down.
The sooner you cut them off you will have a much better life. You will see all the toxicity they brought with their jealousy leaving your life and making it better.
