{"id":6794,"date":"2024-03-12T05:39:43","date_gmt":"2024-03-12T09:39:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/parmaks.com\/Resources\/how-to-deal-with-people-who-undermine-your-confidence\/"},"modified":"2024-03-12T05:39:43","modified_gmt":"2024-03-12T09:39:43","slug":"how-to-deal-with-people-who-undermine-your-confidence","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/parmaks.com\/Resources\/how-to-deal-with-people-who-undermine-your-confidence\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Deal with People Who Undermine Your Confidence"},"content":{"rendered":"<p> <a href=\"https:\/\/hop.clickbank.net\/?affiliate=infohatch&amp;vendor=J1R2C\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-10614 aligncenter\" src=\"http:\/\/parmaks.com\/Resources\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/profit-gen400px.png\" alt=\"Profit Gen\" width=\"400\" height=\"217\" srcset=\"https:\/\/parmaks.com\/Resources\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/profit-gen400px.png 400w, https:\/\/parmaks.com\/Resources\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/profit-gen400px-300x163.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 400px) 100vw, 400px\" \/><\/a><br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div>\n<p>Did you ever wonder why some people are so mean-spirited? It\u2019s one thing to get up on the wrong side of the bed and quite another to live your life that way. Some folks argue with people, chew them out, and make fun of others like it\u2019s a sport. And even though it\u2019s obvious that these folks are toxic and belligerent, their victims take the words to heart and think they\u2019re to blame \u2014 undermining their confidence.<\/p>\n<p>Don\u2019t get me wrong. I know it\u2019s nerve-racking to get assaulted by their mood swings. But the truth is that their behavior says a lot more about them than it does about you. So don\u2019t get down on yourself when nasty people get angry, are offended, or are envious of your success. That\u2019s <em>their<\/em> problem, not <em>yours<\/em>.<\/p>\n<h3>10 Signs of a Toxic Person<\/h3>\n<p>Destructive people insult, belittle, and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.franksonnenbergonline.com\/blog\/where-do-bullies-learn-to-be-so-mean\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">bully<\/a> others. Folks like that are:<\/p>\n<p><strong><span style=\"color: #ff6600;\">Self-centered.<\/span> <\/strong>Some people think the world revolves around them. They don\u2019t care how their actions affect others.<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #ff6600;\"><strong>Inadequate. <\/strong><\/span>Some folks have low self-esteem. To compensate for their insecurity, they build themselves <em>up<\/em> by tearing others <em>down<\/em>.<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #ff6600;\"><strong>Power hungry.<\/strong><\/span> Some people want you to know who\u2019s boss. They go out of their way to browbeat you to make you feel inferior and to keep you in your place.<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #ff6600;\"><strong>Self-doubting.<\/strong><\/span> Some folks need to be the center of attention. They think that <a href=\"https:\/\/www.franksonnenbergonline.com\/blog\/is-your-confidence-turning-into-egotism\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">showing off<\/a>, by mocking people, will win the admiration of others.<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #ff6600;\"><strong>Intolerant.<\/strong><\/span> Some people are unwilling to listen, much less accept, opposing <a href=\"https:\/\/www.franksonnenbergonline.com\/blog\/should-your-viewpoint-matter-more-than-mine\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">viewpoints<\/a>, beliefs, or lifestyles. They\u2019re likely to show disdain if you <em>think<\/em> or <em>behave<\/em> differently than them.<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #ff6600;\"><strong>Insecure.<\/strong><\/span> Some folks feel threatened if you challenge their opinions. Instead of seeking the truth, they\u2019re likely to get defensive, shut down <a href=\"https:\/\/www.franksonnenbergonline.com\/blog\/this-discussion-has-no-room-for-debate\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">debate<\/a>, and attack you personally.<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #ff6600;\"><strong>Manipulative.<\/strong><\/span> For some people, having strong beliefs and values is not enough. They need to weaken your resolve and make a convert out of you.<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #ff6600;\"><strong>Jealous.<\/strong><\/span> Some folks feel slighted by the success of others. Rather than being happy for your hard-fought <em>achievements<\/em>, they\u2019re likely to lash out at you, because you came out on top.<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #ff6600;\"><strong>Nasty.<\/strong><\/span> Some people get a rise out of bullying and mistreating the weak and vulnerable. It\u2019s all a game to them.<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #ff6600;\"><strong>Unprincipled.<\/strong><\/span> Some folks grew up in a household where being intolerant and\/or disrespectful was the norm. They treat others poorly because they don\u2019t know better \u2014 even though they should.<\/p>\n<h3>Embrace Positivity in the Face of Negativity<\/h3>\n<p>It is so important to have a positive mindset when you\u2019re confronted by destructive people. Instead of internalizing their negative emotions, remember that their attacks reflect their own issues and insecurities, not your shortcomings.<\/p>\n<p>Here are six steps to deal with people who undermine your confidence:<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #ff6600;\"><strong>Keep your cool.<\/strong><\/span> Don\u2019t let the offender dictate how you feel. Try to be <em>rational<\/em> rather than <em>emotional<\/em>.<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #ff6600;\"><strong>Remain above the fray. <\/strong><\/span>Don\u2019t snap at the offender or get down to their level. That\u2019s what they want. As George Bernard Shaw said, \u201cI learned long ago never to wrestle with a pig. You get dirty, and besides, the pig likes it.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #ff6600;\"><strong>Keep things in perspective.<\/strong><\/span> Just because someone says something doesn\u2019t make it true. You have the option to ignore the remark or <em>discretely<\/em> laugh it off.<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #ff6600;\"><strong>Tell them how you feel. <\/strong><\/span>If the offender plays a significant role in your life, let them know how they made you feel. They may be unaware of their behavior or how it affected you.<\/p>\n<p><strong><span style=\"color: #ff6600;\">Exit the situation.<\/span> <\/strong>You don\u2019t have to accept abuse from <em>anyone<\/em>. Period! Politely excuse yourself from their presence.<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #ff6600;\"><strong>Say goodbye to repeat offenders. <\/strong><\/span>If someone <em>repeatedly<\/em> mistreats you, limit the time that you spend with the offender.<\/p>\n<h3>Control What You Can and Let Go of the Rest<\/h3>\n<p>There will always be people who\u2019ll try to boost their confidence at your expense. Embrace the fact that you cannot control how others behave, but you can control your response to them. By not allowing their negativity to bring you down, you liberate yourself from the unnecessary burden that you shouldn\u2019t have to bear. As Eleanor Roosevelt said, \u201cNo one can make you feel inferior without your consent.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><strong>LISTEN UP \u2026\u00a0\u00a0<em>Listen to Your Conscience. That\u2019s Why You Have One<\/em>\u00a0is now available as an audiobook. Check it out on\u00a0,\u00a0, or\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/apple.co\/41mzuVO\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">iTunes<\/a>.<\/strong><\/p>\n<h3>Do You Let People Undermine Your Confidence?<\/h3>\n<p><b>Please leave a\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.franksonnenbergonline.com\/blog\/how-to-deal-with-people-who-undermine-your-confidence\/#respond\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">comment<\/a>\u00a0and tell us what you think or\u00a0share it with someone who can benefit from the\u00a0information.<\/b><\/p>\n<p>Additional Reading:<br \/><a href=\"https:\/\/www.franksonnenbergonline.com\/blog\/how-to-bring-out-the-best-in-people\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">How to Bring Out the Best in People<\/a><br \/><a href=\"https:\/\/www.franksonnenbergonline.com\/blog\/are-you-enthusiastic-for-the-success-of-others\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Are You Enthusiastic for the Success of Others?<\/a><br \/><a href=\"https:\/\/www.franksonnenbergonline.com\/blog\/surround-yourself-with-top-notch-people\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Surround Yourself with Top-Notch People<\/a><br \/><a href=\"https:\/\/www.franksonnenbergonline.com\/blog\/23-ways-to-spot-a-hypocrite\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">23 Ways to Spot a Hypocrite<\/a><br \/><a href=\"https:\/\/www.franksonnenbergonline.com\/blog\/some-people-have-no-shame\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Some People Have No Shame<\/a><br \/><a href=\"https:\/\/www.franksonnenbergonline.com\/blog\/change-someones-life-and-you-may-end-up-changing-yours\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Change Someone\u2019s Life and You May End Up Changing Yours<\/a><br \/><a href=\"https:\/\/www.franksonnenbergonline.com\/blog\/50-signs-that-youre-a-train-wreck\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">50 Signs That You\u2019re a Train Wreck<\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong>Follow me:<\/strong><br \/><a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/FrankSonnenbergOnline\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Facebook<\/a><br \/><a href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/franksonnenberg\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">LinkedIn<\/a><br \/><a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/FSonnenberg\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">X<\/a>\u00a0(Formerly Twitter)<br \/><a href=\"https:\/\/www.pinterest.com\/franksonnenberg\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Pinterest\u00a0<\/a>and<br \/><a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/franksonnenbergonline\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Instagram<\/a><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #808080;\">If you like this article, subscribe to our blog so that you don\u2019t miss a single post. 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It\u2019s FREE. <\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><script async src=\"\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><script async defer src=\"https:\/\/platform.instagram.com\/en_US\/embeds.js\"><\/script><br \/>\n<br \/><a href=\"https:\/\/hop.clickbank.net\/?affiliate=infohatch&amp;vendor=J1R2C\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-10614 aligncenter\" src=\"http:\/\/parmaks.com\/Resources\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/profit-gen400px.png\" alt=\"Profit Gen\" width=\"400\" height=\"217\" srcset=\"https:\/\/parmaks.com\/Resources\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/profit-gen400px.png 400w, https:\/\/parmaks.com\/Resources\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/profit-gen400px-300x163.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 400px) 100vw, 400px\" \/><\/a><br \/><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Did you ever wonder why some people are so mean-spirited? It\u2019s one thing to get up on the wrong side of the bed and quite [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":6795,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[17],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-6794","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-relationships"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/parmaks.com\/Resources\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6794","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/parmaks.com\/Resources\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/parmaks.com\/Resources\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/parmaks.com\/Resources\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/parmaks.com\/Resources\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=6794"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/parmaks.com\/Resources\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6794\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/parmaks.com\/Resources\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/6795"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/parmaks.com\/Resources\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6794"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/parmaks.com\/Resources\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=6794"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/parmaks.com\/Resources\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=6794"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}