Hey everyone, and welcome to TopThink. Today,
we will learn about twenty subtle signs of a fake person.
Now, let’s begin. 1. The Social Peacock
Almost every fake person wants to be the center of attention. They have high self-esteem but rarely
have enough self-awareness to keep their arrogance under wraps. In other words, fake people are like
peacocks showing off their feathers. They gloat, brag, and boast at every opportunity.
Because in their mind, there is nothing more important than bolstering their image.
2. Reckless Reflection When we’re alone, most of us spend
time thinking about our lives. We take time to consider the needs of our loved ones, think deeper
about our choices, and reflect on our mistakes. But a fake person has no interest in reflecting
on what they’ve done wrong. They rarely reconsider their thoughts or actions and don’t change their
minds once they’ve made them up. It doesn’t matter how ridiculous they sound or how many
people they’ve upset. A fake person makes no effort to reflect or change their mind. Why?
Because they care more about their reputation than the words and ideas they represent.
3. Disingenuous Connections Why do the most disingenuous people
have the largest friend groups? Even though it seems like they have dozens of friends,
fake people rarely spend any time deepening those connections. They brag about all the important
people they know. They drop names and pretend to be social butterflies. But all their “friends”
might as well be strangers. Fake people may know surface-level facts and superficial details
about a large group of people, but 99% of their relationships never extend below the surface.
4. Hidden Resentment When a fake person is upset about something,
they don’t say it out loud. Instead, they allow their resentment to simmer in the back of their
mind. They put on a fake smile and say nice things until the moment you leave the room.
You may never see this terrible side of them, but a phony person shows their true colors only
when you’re not around. 5. One-Sided Attention
Do you know someone who doesn’t listen when you talk? Whenever they say something,
they expect your undivided attention. They get angry if you’re not listening and accuse you
of being a lousy friend each time you forget a tiny detail about their life. Of course,
they hardly know or remember anything about yours. When you’re together,
they don’t listen to a word you say because, in their mind, your friendship is all about them.
6. Selective Respect Most people respect everyone they meet,
regardless of rank or status. But fake people are overwhelmingly biased toward people they view as
powerful or successful. Immediately, they change their personalities and exhibit overly kind or
gracious behavior. If you know someone who changes around the rich and powerful, they may not be the
kind of person you can trust. 7. Too Many Commitments
Fake people have a bad habit of spreading themselves too thin. They make promises to
everyone, but in the end, they only follow through on a small percentage of their commitments. They
readily leave friends and coworkers out to dry. In some cases, they don’t even bother to apologize.
This bad habit shows a lack of investment in their friendships and relationships. Chances are this
person does not see you as a priority in their life. They may tell you otherwise but remember…
actions speak louder than words. 8. Biased Perspectives
Many fake people are remarkably narrow-minded. They’re unwilling to listen when others challenge
or ask questions about their viewpoints. They generally don’t consider other people’s
perspectives, even if that person knows more than they do. Instead, fake people expect everyone
to agree with everything they say. They won’t hesitate to shame and criticize you if you don't.
9. The One and Only Subject If you’ve ever spent time with a fake person,
you know that one subject entertains them like no other. Fake people love talking about themselves.
In fact, they have a hard time discussing any other topic. They can hardly stay focused when
you try to talk about your issues. But as soon as the conversation returns to their life,
fake people are endlessly entertained. 10. The Burden of Friendship
Do you know someone who never takes the initiative? For some reason, it’s always your
responsibility to organize dates or hangouts. You’re always suggesting things you can do
together, but it’s never the other way around. Why? Because this person doesn’t see you as an
important or valuable person in their life. They place the responsibility for your friendship on
your shoulders because, despite what they say, they don’t care enough to take the initiative.
11. Back-Handed Compliments Fake people are highly judgmental
of the people around them. While others try to appreciate people’s best qualities,
fake people focus on what they dislike most about them, and they find ways to make people feel bad
for possessing any weaknesses or flaws. One of the ways they bring people down is
through backhanded compliments. Instead of giving you genuine and meaningful praise,
they use a positive tone and a pleasant demeanor to subtly destroy your self-esteem.
For example, if you do a great job on a project at work, a fake person might say, “Wow, that was a
surprisingly good presentation.” While this seems complementary, they’re actually implying that your
everyday work is poor or below-average. Anyone who gives backhanded compliments
probably does not care about you or your feelings. Instead, they’re interested in
making themselves feel better by making you look worse. Like any backhanded compliment,
these people seem nice on the surface, but the truth is… they’re anything but your friends.
12. Inauthentic Pride Someone untrustworthy and disingenuous
will avoid taking responsibility for their mistakes. While others apologize and move forward,
fake people look for ways to pass the blame. Whenever they do something wrong, they flip
the problem on its head. They make you feel like it’s your fault. Perhaps they try to avoid the
problem entirely. Either way, fake people will say and do almost anything to protect their pride.
13. Ulterior Motives A fake friend is reliable one day and
fickle the next. They act like your best friend; then they want nothing to do with you. In short,
they are inconsistent, and their inconsistency is driving you to question their intentions.
If you know someone who is not consistently present, kind, or attentive in your relationship,
you have good reason to doubt their motives. This person may only be using
you when it is convenient for them, so don’t be surprised if they disappear again soon.
14. Superficial Praise To someone with a disingenuous personality,
nothing is more rewarding than superficial praise. They constantly desire compliments
and attention from other people, even if those compliments never go further than skin-deep.
For fake people, one of the most common outlets is social media. Not all social
media users are disingenuous, but people who spend a lot of time chasing “likes” may value
popularity over genuine connections. 15. Controlling Their Clique
Fake people use their social status to define their self-worth, so it’s not uncommon for phony
individuals to surround themselves with a clique of socially desperate people. In many cases,
they cling to submissive personalities who make them feel confident and superior. This false sense
of confidence leads many fake people to assume they have control over every social situation.
They may be the ruler of their clique, but the truth is… they aren’t as powerful as they think.
16. Undermining Boundaries In every healthy relationship,
people set boundaries to differentiate what is okay from what is not. But fake
people don’t like being told what to do. They go out of their way to question, violate, and
undermine peoples’ boundaries whenever possible. The simple fact is that fake people don’t respect
your wants or needs. They’re only interested in themselves, and they won’t take no for an answer.
17. Symptoms of Jealousy A fake person rarely thinks
twice before saying something hurtful. They don’t consider the feelings of others,
and they don’t pull their punches, even if they’re making you or somebody else uncomfortable.
Sometimes, they’ll defend their insults and criticisms by saying, “I’m just being honest,” or
“I’m just saying what everyone is thinking.” But that’s rarely the case. These harsh comments are
not representative of how people really feel. Instead, they’re symptoms of jealousy and
inferiority. A fake person will try to hurt you because they want to bring you down. They
envy your accomplishments and feel small in your shadow. If that happens, a fake person will say
almost anything to get back on top. 18. Fabricated Emotions
If you’re friends with someone fake, don’t expect them to express their real, honest feelings. A
phony person may tell you they’re being honest or genuine, but it’s safe to assume that anything
they say is designed to manipulate your feelings. Often, a fake person will fabricate emotions just
to get their way. They’ll yell and cry, smile and laugh… These emotions may look real, but there’s
a good chance it’s all for show. 19. Working Overtime
For most people, connecting with friends and partners is intimidating and emotional,
but it’s not exactly “hard.” It doesn’t take much work to communicate with someone,
even if it is nerve-racking and a bit stressful. Fake people, on the other hand, do more work than
the average person to keep their friendships and relationships alive. Why? Because they
have to act like someone they are not. If you know someone who treats their relationships
like another chore in their life, they may be working a lot harder than you realize.
20. Social Smokescreen How do fake people get
away with their disingenuous actions? In many cases, fake people create a social smokescreen,
using drama and conflict to distract people from their fake and dishonest personalities.
For example, a fake person may cover up their mistakes by spreading rumors and gossip about you.
They’ll throw you under the bus so they can look better by comparison. Of course, they’ll never
do it to your face, but behind closed doors, a fake person will tarnish your reputation to
cover up their manipulative behavior. Thank you for watching TopThink and
be sure to subscribe because more incredible content is on the way.