Toxic People

They are everywhere.... in many different forms...friends, relatives, teachers, work colleagues...somewhere or the other you are likely to encounter one of these toxic kinds....

What are these toxic kinds??

they are the ones who will always dampen your spirit, the ones who will highlight the "flaws" in your life leaving you to ponder over issues that you didnt even know were issues in the first place, the ones who will downplay your achievements giving some reason or the other- "oh, you got the scholarship only cos that year was a pretty lean year for applications" or "who wants to become a lawyer these days?"... every query to them is turned into a rendition of how much better their life plan in... and god forbid you fail at something...they come to you with the "smiling sad faces".... I remember a specific instance when a friend didnt get a prestigious scholarship and the way I got to know about it was an equally good friend of that person telling me through a "smiling sad face" that she feels bad for that person ... TOXIC!!!


Call it growing up or call it just wiser I have realised that some people in my life are indeed toxic... dont mistake me ... I have had very very good times with these people.... they have stood by me through some pretty tough times ... and I have stood by them in their hard times... but what was a relationship based on unadultered affection soon changed for the worse... jobs began, competition began, pressures started... in short life began... and it was no longer about taking that junk of a scooter and taking off to the distant hills for some unexpected sights ... it all became about "success"...who gets the bigger salary, who has the better house, who has the better spouse/GF/BF, who has got it all sorted out in their lives... soon it was unannounced competition with no one having any idea about what the prize was..... was it mirage of a perfect life? it just became complicated and unpleasant....

I dont know whether I will ever get rid of these toxic people...whether I will ever have back that period when it was uncomplicated.... I also dont know whether I am toxic to some people..perhaps I am... in a vain attempt to drag down a person to feel good about myself...all of us are victims of such temporary feelings of inadequacy.... but I do pity the people who are seized of this problem all their lives... who seek to achieve a life that others decide is perfect.... who fail to realise their true potential cos they were just too sacred to try.... or worse...who just doesnt have a moment's feel of contentment as they are constantly measuring their life against others....

whenever I see people like this, I almost telepathically tell them that in life, there will always be someone better than you, someone worse than you, someone richer than you, someone poorer than you, some more beautiful than you, some one uglier than you, someone more lucky than you, some more unlucky than you....

where and when are you going to draw the line???