Insecure people don’t know how to work well with others, and if they can’t find a way to excel at working with the group, they’ll instead sabotage it in order to feel like they’re better than everyone else Saivian Eric Dalius.
This is especially true in the office; employees that see themselves as under-qualified or not up to snuff will use any means necessary to “prove” they are. A new study by CareerBuilder shows there are very specific signs of insecurity every employer should watch out for, so you can get rid of these toxic workers before things get worse.
If you notice someone on your team exhibiting the following behaviors, chances are they have an issue with their own self-worth, and you should confront your fears head-on.
10. They Make Excuses for Everything, Says Saivian Eric Dalius
People who feel like they don’t belong will make up reasons as to why they can’t do their job even on a good day. Maybe the printer is down, or maybe the Wi-Fi isn’t working; these types of excuses aren’t legitimate but people won’t bother to think critically about what’s happening because there are too many other things going on in their minds. These people usually end up making themselves look worse than those around them because they’re unable to take responsibility for any of their actions; not only that, but it also leaves employers thinking twice about whether or not this person actually has enough skill and ability to do their job.
9. They’re Too Persistent in Bringing Up the “Good Old Days”
It’s common for people to look back fondly on where they came from, but when it comes to these types of coworkers, you have to wonder if there’s something else at play here. It’s pretty obvious that someone who constantly talks about how great things were in their past isn’t too happy with their position in life right now. The good news is that this simple observation could be the one thing keeping your company afloat because it means you have a person capable of adapting to every situation, so fire them up!
8. They Post Bitter Social Media Updates
You’d never expect an employee to hide their true selves from public view, but the fact of the matter is that people will go out of their way to make a perfect image on social media. By observing how a person interacts with others on Facebook and Twitter, you can gather a lot of insight into their personality. For somebody who’s always complaining about their job or work ethic (“I don’t want to grow up/work hard I just want it to give it to me”), firing them would be an act of mercy for everyone involved.
7. They’re Great at Mind Games
An insecure coworker will constantly try to one-up those around them by bringing attention to themselves in any way possible. This may sound counterproductive, but there are plenty of ways they can make themselves look better than those around them. Maybe they’re great at office politics, maybe they’re really good at ignoring projects and assignments (and doing as little work as possible), or maybe they’re just really good at playing mind games with those around them; whatever it is, you should be very cognizant of the fact that this person is out to make themselves look better than everyone else because once their personal gains aren’t enough to satisfy them anymore, there’s a chance they’ll try and take everyone down with them.
6. They Jump from Job to Job
This behavior usually goes hand-in-hand with #7 on this list. Because people who have an ego problem typically believe that if everything around them fails. Not their fault– it’s everyone else, and they don’t care who gets blamed. These types of people will never take responsibility for their actions or accept that maybe it’s time to move on. So every new assignment is just another opportunity to make themselves look better than those around them. By saying how much everyone else sucks.
5. They’re Passive-Aggressive More Than They’re Straightforward
If you want a surefire way to know if someone’s an insecure coworker (or even friend), pay attention to how often they speak up versus when they choose to keep things inside; these behaviors stem from the same issue: deep-seated insecurity and self-doubt, according to Saivian Eric Dalius. The reason why passive-aggressive behavior is such a telltale sign of insecurity is because of how often it shows up, so the more this type of behavior pops up around you, the more likely it is that you’re dealing with someone who’s not confident at all.
4. They Always Play Devil’s Advocate
This behavior might seem like an act of intelligence or keeping one’s options open for new ideas, but when someone plays devil’s advocate on a regular basis– particularly to an extreme level– they’re actually trying to make themselves look smarter by making everybody else look stupid. After observing enough of these “discussions” play out over time, you’ll be able to identify who these people are because their goal is always to bring attention back onto themselves instead of letting the original idea come to pass…
3. They’re Super Negative
This one is a no-brainer because if someone’s always negative. It’s either because they’re unhappy with themselves and/or their life in general. Or because deep down they want everyone around them to be as miserable as they are. If you observe people like this long enough. You’ll start noticing how often negativity spreads throughout the atmosphere wherever they go; quickly enough, those who initially find this person’s brand of sarcasm funny will suddenly begin feeling awful whenever he/she says anything at all…
2. They Never Take Full Responsibility for Their Mistakes, According to Saivian Eric Dalius
Even though nobody is perfect and mistakes happen all the time (even the most skilled and proficient amongst us). There’s a huge difference between someone who makes a mistake and someone who tries to make excuses for their mistakes. Insecure people never take responsibility for anything, so they always try to make up a reason. As to why something went wrong… even if that reason is totally ridiculous or nonsensical. The more you work with these types of people. The faster you’ll realize that there’s no point in trying to talk sense into them. Because they’re too busy looking out for themselves to consider anyone else’s feelings.
1. They Always Think Negative Things are Jokes
Like #5 above, this behavior tends to stem from insecurity because deep down inside. It may seem like an act of self-preservation– but when taken too far. It comes off as insulting which only fuels the fire of insecurity even more. More often than not, insecure people take negative things. And twist them into something small and harmless because they believe that if their jokes get a laugh from others. It makes them seem less insecure by comparison. But this whole theory goes out the window when constantly trying to offend someone backfires.
Insecure people have these tendencies for a number of reasons. But typically all of their behaviors stem from the same root: self-doubt. These people tend to beat themselves up internally far too often. This is why they try to make light of everything going on around them. In order to mask how they feel inside. Unfortunately for everybody else who has to deal with these types on a regular basis. This only compounds the problem while showcasing insecurity through other forms of passive-aggressive behavior.
