How many times have you received a compliment and later doubted whether or not it was truly sincere? It’s always good to assume that people have good intentions, but the sad reality is that this isn’t always the case. Sometimes, people are just showing fake love and pretending to be nice to us, and it’s a point to know the signs of this behaviour. Are you wondering whether or not the people around you are genuinely kind? Here are the 5 signs of fake nice people.
Humble bragging
Humble bragging is a relatively new term, but it’s been around for ages. This is when people exhibit false modesty. They pretend to downplay their own accomplishments while sully bragging about them at the same time. An example would be someone who says “I hate being beautiful because people flirt with me all the time”. According to psychological studies, it’s actually better if you go ahead and fully brag in these situations, people like genuine bragging way more than humble bragging.
Passive-aggressive behaviour
You’d be surprised how easy it is for some people to be extremely aggressive while maintaining a guise of positive and nice behaviour. This is known as “passive-aggressive behaviour” and it’s one of the big signs of a fake nice person. According to research, this behaviour is common with people who have suppressed their rage and want to maintain civility and sophistication. They can let their anger out only by being passive-aggressive. For example, someone might give you a compliment but it seems rather sarcastic and backhanded.
Ghosting
Ghosting is another big sign of fake nice people. This is when people completely fall off the radar, refusing to answer your calls or reply to your text. Ghosting often occurs right after the relationship is seemingly going pretty well. The other person you are dealing with might seem nice and polite and then all of a sudden, they completely cut you out of their lives. At this point, it becomes obvious that their nice behaviour was just a big act.
Crocodile tears
As we all know, The phrase “crocodile tears” is very common and it is used to describe people who fake emotions; usually, sadness or remorse. We see it all the time with politicians and well-known public figures. So, how do you spot crocodile tears? Many pieces of research and studies have shown that people faking emotions like remorse and sadness tend to exaggerate these emotions. They also show a wide range of different emotions which doesn’t always make sense. All these things can leave your mind wandering and you might start feeling guilty for no reason.
For example, such people might switch suddenly from being sad to being hopeful. How to spot a fake smile? Fake nice people are more likely to show fake smiles. But how do you tell the difference between their smiles and real smiles from genuine happy and nice people? According to psychologists, real smiles almost always use more facial muscles. Specifically, you should be on the lookout for wrinkles around the eyes. These are key signs of a real smile.
Fake nice people can’t listen
Genuinely nice people are always ready to lend an ear. No matter what you’re going through, they can sit and listen to what you have to say. It’s very hard for fake nice people because they’re usually very self-centred people. To put it simply, it’s all about them. They might act the part, but they’ll try their best to sway the conversation towards topics that involved them, not you. For example, you might be explaining the struggles you have at school or work, and then someone cuts in and starts giving you a long story about their personal experiences in that area.
Final Words
There are many signs to identify fake nice people, but they’re actually not very common. In most cases, when someone is acting nice towards you, they really mean it. In fact, people have a tendency to view themselves as less likeable than others see them.
It’s true that fake nice people do exist, but people probably like you a lot more than you think. That’s why it’s always a good idea to assume the best in people because you might be irrationally fearing the worst. Have you experienced such situations in your life?