5 personality types that generate psychological discomfort
These are different personal profiles that generate feelings of vulnerability or uneasiness.
Given the emotional complexity of the human being, it is often difficult to discern what type of interpersonal relationships are empowering for one's own well-being or lead to harmful consequences. Thus, analogous to any individual psychological process, in the relationships that are maintained with the people of the environment, when it comes to the When assessing these interactions, emotional aspects converge with others of a more rational nature.
These evaluations, reflections or judgments made about the experiences we share with other individuals are fundamental because they guide our own social behavior, so it seems essential that both factors (emotional and rational) are certainly balanced, without one of them being able to dominate the other. This can be especially complicated in the case of some of the so-called toxic personal functioning profiles, personality forms that generate discomfort very easily.. Let us see below what aspects characterize them and how we can identify them.
Personal profiles that produce psychological discomfort
Since Stamateas published almost a decade ago the work "Toxic People", as well as other later works of similar subject matter, this term has become significantly popular.
According to the author, toxic people are those who present a high volume of negative emotional charges, very diverse frustrations and a tendency to emit destructive criticism in the form of personal attacks on the people around them. This pernicious functional style is capable of adversely influencing the latter since it can provoke the appearance of insecurities or emotional weaknesses, uneasiness and discomfort.This can lead to insecurities or emotional weaknesses, uneasiness and significant psychological discomfort.
It therefore seems essential to learn to distance oneself psychologically from this type of group in order to preserve one's own emotional well-being.
1. The critical profile
This type of individual is characterized by a profile that tends to make constant recriminations in order to exercise constant recriminations in order to exert control over the other person.. By functioning based on the criticism of others together with an absence of self-criticism, they tend to consider themselves perfect beings who generate doubts and insecurities in those around them. They usually resort to confrontation and offense to make others feel inferior. This reflects an intense feeling of inner anger that is channeled in this pernicious way.
This psychological style is associated with impulsive and irrational cognitive functioning, so when it comes to dealing with them, oppositional confrontation issued without prior reflection is not very effective.. Thus, all this may result in the person receiving the criticism ending up developing the same aggressive functioning as the first one. Instead, either the use of a sense of humor, subtle irony or witty responses that unsettle the critical interlocutor seem to yield better results. Also, following the principles of assertive behavior, a thoughtful, firm and rational questioning of the messages that the person is trying to convey to his or her "victim" can help to maintain a certain distance between the two parties.
A variant within this same group is identified with the "envious type profile". Similar to the critical style, it is focused on making disparaging judgments about the achievements of others instead of focusing on achieving their own goals. They usually give greater relevance to material issues as sources of happiness and well-being and hide in many cases, personalities of low self-esteem and high insecurities.
2. The expert in blaming
There are few aspects that move the human being further away from the fulfillment of his objectives and vital goals than the feeling of guilt. This emotion becomes the main method to block and emotionally paralyze one's self-worth and motivation to achieve one's projects.
Guilt, unfortunately, has a significant function in our psyche in our psyche that makes it more complex to overcome: it is an efficient defense mechanism that serves as an explanation when a goal is not achieved due to a lack of effort or investment of energy in it. Thus, it seems more comfortable to blame other factors (or people) outside oneself or it can also be an easy resource to blame oneself for the causes that have led to the "non-success" proposed.
One aspect that should be taken into account is that of not to fall into the error of equating the concept of "non-success" with that of failure.. In this sense, people who present a guilt-prone profile are governed by an irrationally rigid, inflexible and absolutist functioning. Thus, for them, not having completely fulfilled their previous expectations can be understood as a failure, instead of a partial success. Therefore, a very relevant point to analyze in this psychological attitudinal style seems to be related to the type of expectations that the individual sets for him/herself. These should be realistic rather than excessively self-demanding; this is one of the central elements that can trigger the alarm to determine if the person in front of you presents this maladaptive behavioral style.
3. The psychopathic manipulator
Faced with their inability to live adaptively in society, these individuals act in their own self-interest and understand other people as mimetics. see other people as mere instruments to achieve their own objectives.. This toxic profile in its most extreme expression, psychopathy, violates the rights of others and commits criminal acts without any remorse. Even so, there are different degrees in the intensity of the characteristics that this type of individuals present, so, fleeing from the false belief that the psychopathic profile should be associated with that of a serial killer, this kind of people can be found in the social environment more often than expected.
Manipulators seem to be incapable of possessing the ability to understand and empathize with others. with others. They exhibit immature, irresponsible and self-centered functioning whereby they are easily offended by the actions of others and respond to this in an impulsive and angry manner, not hesitating to deceive others in order to get what they want. Externally, they show a profile of overconfidence and self-esteem, devaluing others and showing themselves incapable of accepting their own mistakes or making any act of self-criticism. Faced with this group of people, the most effective coping option is physical and emotional withdrawal, since they have a great capacity for superficial charm and loquacity with which they usually manage to convince their "victims".
4. The complainer-conformist
Their most central characteristic is fear of change and a low tolerance for uncertainty.Therefore, their philosophy of life tends to be oriented towards monotony and routine, lacking aspirations and dreams to be fulfilled. The latter leads them to adopt a passive behavior in which they do not get involved or do not invest enough effort to achieve what really satisfies them.
Their style of reasoning is very much associated with the "short term", immediate reward and comfort. Thus, anything that involves new alternative approaches (more emotionally costly or simply different) is seen as dangerous or unacceptable.
The result of all this is usually to achieve the same mediocre results and to resort to constant complaining about not having achieved the goal they truly desire. In this case there is also an absence of self-responsibility when it comes to setting life goals and an excess of blaming other factors external to the person as the cause of the outcome of their actions and decisions.
5. Neurotic style
This type of personality tends to suffer a significant intensity and frequency of anxiety symptoms derived from constant symptoms of anxiety derived from constant worries they generate for all sorts of everyday issues. In turn, their irrational and distorted belief system firmly believes in the need to be loved and accepted by everyone else, without exception. Therefore, they require permanent recognition from others and usually set unrealistic and perfectionistic goals that are impossible to achieve.
They also use the methodology of the expert in blaming when they do not get what they want, greatly increasing their insecurities, their cognitive rigidity through the emission of extreme reasoning and their general inhibition when it comes to active coping with adversity. The latter also serves as reinforced behavior since the expression of complaint and passivity in the face of circumstances allows them to receive the attention of the people around them, adopting a victimizing role.
When faced with such a person, it is important to assertively set limits in order to interrupt the vicious circle of to interrupt the vicious circle of unhealthy preoccupations that they continually that they continuously transmit to the others, as well as the desire of control and the obtaining of their exclusive attention.
By way of conclusion
From the exposed thing it seems to be noticed that they are diverse the ingredients that contribute to emotional level in the attainment of the own emotional well-being. It has been observed that self-satisfaction is a right that must be worked on individually, through self-responsibility through self-responsibility for goals, the assumption of how adaptive it is to make mistakes as a necessary process in personal growth and a discourse based on self-confidence and the rationality of personal approaches.
It is recommended to combine all of the above with an actively accepting style, where instead of trying to change others, diversity of opinions and ways of acting is assumed as natural. This principle serves as a reference in the field of interpersonal decisions and behavior, although it is true that it may be difficult to establish a clear differentiation between this premise, the acceptance of diversity of criteria, and relativism, whose recent rise is overshadowing the distinction between what can be objectified and what is merely subjective.
Bibliographical references:
- Stamateas, B. (2011) Gente Tóxica. Ediciones B, S.A. (Barcelona).
(Updated at Apr 14 / 2024)