Jealousy is a tricky emotion that often lurks behind warm smiles and friendly interactions. When someone is envious of you they might not come right out and say it but their behavior can give them away. Sometimes jealous people aren’t even aware they are acting the way they are but their deep-seated fears and insecurities can be projected onto you.
1. They Give Backhanded Compliments
A classic sign of jealousy or inadequacy is when someone gives you a backhanded compliment. They are trying to act like they are lifting you up and offering praise but there is a subtle underlying dig to what they are saying. This reveals they think you look great (aka better than them) or are good at something when they aren’t and their emotions have the better of them.
2. They Are Excessively Critical
Jealous people tend to be overly critical and will go out of their way to point out flaws in your appearance, achievements, or personality. This reveals they have low self-esteem and to mask this and their insecurities they tear people down to feel more powerful and in control.
3. They Constantly Compare
If someone feels the need to constantly compare themselves to you (or others), it shows they don’t feel comfortable or secure in their own skin. Obsessively making comparisons highlights their lack of confidence and they feel they somehow don’t measure up. It can also indicate a bit of a victim mentality and is a tactic to make you feel guilty or sorry for them.
4. They Downplay Your Success
When people go out of their way to downplay your accomplishments they’re envious of you and jealous of your success and don’t even have the emotional maturity to hide it. Making others feel less than or not sharing in the joy of their successes, means they aren’t a true friend and can’t be trusted.
5. They Mirror Your Actions
Imitation is the biggest form of flattery. Except for the other person. When someone starts mirroring your style, becoming interested in the same hobbies, honing in on your friend groups, or imitating your habits and lifestyle it’s a very obvious sign they are jealous of you and want what you have. Followers, people-pleasers, and those who wrestle with their own sense of identity tend to do this.
6. They Resort to Passive-Aggression
Being jealous of someone can show up as passive-aggressive comments or behavior. When someone isn’t confident to voice their insecurities or issues they can project them onto others in the form of sarcasm or subtle digs. This is also a way to shift blame and not take accountability for their own problems and fears.
7. They Withhold Praise
Confident people love to share in your happiness and accomplishments and will be the first to congratulate you on your wins. If people remain silent or lukewarm when you share good news it means they are envious and jealous of your life and successes. Again this comes down to their own insecurity and unhappiness.
8. They Spread Rumors
Jealous people tend to be two-faced. They can act like they are your friend, while also trying to extract as much information from you as they can. To undermine your success or drag you down in the eyes of others they will gossip behind your back and in worse cases may even spread nasty rumors. This is jealousy and manipulation at the extreme.
9. They Are Super Competitive
People who are jealous and envious of others will turn everything into a competition. It may be under the pretense of healthy competition but what they’re really trying to do is one-up you. This shows not only are they emotionally insecure they are also scared of other people’s success as it can highlight their own fear of failure and not being good enough.
10. They Act Disinterested
If someone acts indifferent toward you, or pretends not to care, especially when you share your emotions or achievements, it’s because they do care. Big time. See it for what it is, jealousy and insecurity plain and simple. Surround yourself with positive people who are happy when you’re happy.
11. They Undermine Your Confidence
People who act like they doubt your ability or make you second-guess your decisions are subtly trying to undermine and strip your confidence. Sadly people who aren’t confident get pleasure and power from bringing other people down. This can also be a form of manipulation and control to make you dependent on them.
12. They Point Out Your Failures
The people you love should want you to be happy and successful and feel bad when you feel bad. If someone is always pointing out your mistakes or highlighting your failures, regardless of how minor, it is to make feel them better about themselves and make you feel inadequate.
13. They Are Unsupportive
If you can’t turn to those you trust and rely on when you need them they have no place in your life. When people don’t offer support, encouragement, or advice they could secretly be enjoying your struggle and trying to sabotage you. This can also mean they want you to mess up or are too self-absorbed to put themselves out.
14. They Are Fake
Fake people hide behind warm smiles, and awkward hugs and can act overly enthusiastic and happy when you share your success. You can usually sense the insincerity of people like this as their words and actions don’t lineup with their body language or facial expressions. Fake people are jealous, insecure people and should be avoided.
15. They Ghost You
Finally, nothing will reveal that someone is jealous of you more than if they avoid or ghost you altogether. If you make plans with someone and they cancel, especially if they know it was because you wanted to share some good news, take that as a sign. They are insecure and protecting themselves because they can’t be happy for you.
