Trust is the foundation of any relationship whether between friends, partners, or coworkers. If that foundation is weak, the relationship will come crashing down eventually. It also takes a lot of time and effort to rebuild trust that’s been broken and sometimes, you may not be able to salvage the relationship. Now, some people are experts at flying under the radar and we don’t see the harm until it’s too late and the problem has blown up to the point of no return. Once this happens, we get mad at the other person, but we’re angrier with ourselves for not noticing the signs sooner. You can avoid going down this path again if you watch out for the following types of people and just keep them at a distance.

Fickle-Minded People

People whose moods change as often as the weather don’t make stable, reliable friends or partners. If their emotional state fluctuates too much, chances are they will make you promises and retract them the next day. They can’t be certain of their decisions and are easily influenced by opinions and gossip. That’s not to say people aren’t allowed to change their minds, but this kind of person has a very consistent pattern of going back on their word, and that makes it hard to trust them or build a stable relationship with them.

People Who Are Too Nice

Some people are naturally magnetic and charming. Then there are those who act too nice when in reality, they aren’t all that lovely. And more often than not, they just want something from you. These people rarely open up about themselves and spend most of their time asking way too many personal questions. Obviously, some people are naturally curious, but you’ll know the difference when someone is trying to learn about you versus when someone is just looking to extract information. Also, it’s a good idea to be cautious of a person who is usually mean, but is all of a sudden being nice to you. And when they’re dismissive and rude with others but especially nice to you, that should definitely raise some red flags as well.

People Who Lack Empathy

Empathy is the ability to truly understand how others feel and be compassionate toward them. This makes you a great listener and someone who always knows the right thing to say. In contrast, those who lack empathy, will avoid any scenario where it seems like they have to step up to emotionally support someone. They instead act in ways that are damaging and hurtful, leaving inconvenience and chaos in their wake. What’s worse, these people are unlikely to realize the hurt they’re causing since they only see things from their own self-serving perspective. You can’t trust people who don’t understand the consequences of their actions, so it’s best to avoid them whenever possible.

Overly Competitive People

Competition can be a healthy thing. You can learn from it and challenge yourself to be better. But this doesn’t need to extend to every single area of your life. Some people make everything a contest. If you got a raise, they just got a huge raise too. If you just got engaged, they’re suddenly about to get married. If you jogged one mile today, they surely jogged two. You get what I’m saying. They constantly try to one-up you and it stems from jealousy or insecurity. Or both. These people will always try to downplay your accomplishments and often provoke feelings of anxiety, incompetence, or distress. You end up doubting yourself or feeling like you just don’t measure up.

People Who Want To Control Everything

Someone who’s constantly trying to control every situation is a red flag. People like this often want to take charge by playing some power game to gain the upper hand. They might converse with you to understand your weaknesses and emotional triggers so they can use them against you. Their interest is less in your life, and more in your shortcomings and negative experiences. Because controlling people don’t care about building relationships, life is a game of chess to them, and they feel like if they aren’t strategizing every minute, they’re losing. Such people are too self-centered to ever be trustworthy.

People Who Always Play The Victim

Some people just constantly seem to have bad luck. But half of them will keep persevering, while the other half just sit and complain about the cards they’ve been dealt. And it’s easy to feel bad for these people. But you have to watch out for the eternal victims. These people feel like the world is conspiring against them and they never see fault in themselves. They don’t even acknowledge their mistakes. They simply refuse to take any responsibility whatsoever. All they do is blame others and make them feel guilty.

Don’t Trust People Who Tell You Other People’s Secrets

If you know someone who regularly tells you other people’s secrets, there’s a good chance they’re telling others your secrets as well. And if they ask you not to say anything, you can almost guarantee they’re asking the same of others, too. These people have no concept of loyalty, nor do they have regard for confidentiality. They don’t mind disclosing a secret or spreading a juicy tidbit even if they know it may cause friction between people who are on good terms. While we all exhibit some of these behaviors at times, if you catch someone who is a repeat offender, you should definitely question their trustworthiness.