Trust is earned, not given. While some people might seem charming or well-meaning at first, their actions often reveal a much different story. It’s important to recognize who genuinely has your back and who’s just waiting for the chance to let you down. Here are 15 types of people you should never trust, no matter what.
1. The Chronic Liar
We all tell little white lies here and there, but the chronic liar takes dishonesty to a whole new level. Whether they lie to save face or just for fun, you can never really know when they’re being truthful. Trusting them is like trying to build a house on quicksand—unstable and bound to collapse, so just avoid them altogether.
2. The Two-Faced Gossip
You know the type—super sweet to your face, but the second you turn around, they’re spilling all your secrets. If someone’s always gossiping about others, you can bet your bottom dollar they’re doing the same thing to you when you’re not around. Their loyalty is as thin as paper, and trusting them is a big mistake you’ll come to regret.
3. The Manipulator
Manipulators are pros at twisting situations to make everything work in their favor. They’ll charm you to no end, convince you they’ve got your best interests at heart, and then pull the rug out from under you when you least expect it, often for no other reason than for fun. Trusting them only leads to you being used and discarded once they get what they want.
4. The Chronic Victim
Everything is always someone else’s fault with this person. They’re never to blame, no matter what happens. You probably listened to their sob story once out of pity, and now they’re stuck in your social circle. If you trust a chronic victim, be prepared to be thrown under the bus whenever they need to save face. They’ll never take responsibility for their actions and will make you the scapegoat without hesitation.
5. The Smooth Talker
The smooth talker can charm their way out of anything. They probably said all the right things you wanted to hear when you first met them. Then, whenever they need something, they break out the charm, but when you need them most… it’s total crickets. Their words are just empty promises. Don’t let their charm fool you—trusting a smooth talker will leave you feeling duped every time.
6. The Eternal Flake
You know the person who always says, “Let’s hang out!” but never shows up? That’s the eternal flake. They bail on plans, make excuses, and can never seem to follow through on anything. If someone’s constantly ghosting you or leaving you hanging, not only does that show they don’t value you, it’s a clear sign you can’t rely on them when it really matters.
7. The Overly Defensive One
If someone can’t handle any criticism or questioning without immediately going on the defensive, you need to watch out. Trusting someone who’s overly defensive means you’ll never get the truth when things get tough because they’re only ever in it for themselves. They’ll protect their ego at all costs, even if it means lying, denying, or turning the tables on you.
8. The Drama Magnet
Drama seems to follow this person wherever they go, and they’re always at the center of it. When you met them, they told you about every single person who ever wronged them in their life. You’ve probably come to learn they thrive on chaos and love stirring the pot. Trusting a drama magnet means you’ll constantly be dragged into their mess, whether you want to be or not. Save yourself the headache and keep your distance.
9. The Opportunist
Opportunists are always looking for how they can benefit from any situation. They don’t care about you at all—the only thing they care about is what they can get from you. They’ll be your best friend when they need something but vanish the second you’re no longer useful to them. Trusting them is a one-way ticket to being taken advantage of.
10. The Egotist
Everything’s always about them—their accomplishments, their problems, their needs. They rarely listen to you, and when they do, it’s just to turn the conversation back to themselves. Trusting someone who’s all about themselves is dangerous because they’ll never prioritize your needs or feelings—it’ll always be their show.
11. The Chronic Complainer
If someone’s always finding something to complain about, they’re probably not going to make a good friend or partner. Chronic complainers drain your energy and bring a negative vibe to everything. Trusting them means that you’re going to be constantly dealing with their pessimism, and you’ll soon realize they’re totally incapable of supporting you when you need positivity.
12. The Know-It-All
A know-it-all acts like they’ve got all the answers and loves making you feel like you’re wrong. They don’t actually care about learning or improving themselves—they just love to be right and hold that over people. Trusting them means you’ll never get the full picture because they’d rather pretend they know everything than admit they don’t.
13. The User
Users are people who latch onto you only for what you can give them. They’re like leeches—once they’ve gotten what they need—whether it’s a favor, money, or connections—they’ll disappear without a second thought for you or your friendship. Trusting a user means opening yourself up to being drained emotionally, financially, or even professionally.
14. The Passive-Aggressive Saboteur
This person will smile in your face but stab you in the back without so much as a second thought. They’ll never confront you directly about it because it’s not in their nature, but trust us, they will find sneaky ways to sabotage you, often while pretending to be helpful. Choosing to trust a passive-aggressive person will leave you feeling paranoid because you’ll never know when or how they’ll strike.
15. The Commitment-Phobe
Whether it’s a friendship, relationship, or even a work project, the commitment-phobe is always one foot out the door. They can’t commit to anything long-term and will leave you hanging just when you start to rely on them. Trusting them is a surefire way to be constantly questioning if they’ll ever actually stick around or bail when things get real.
