The 6 Types of Friends Who’ll Sabotage Your Relationship

Boundaries are important in any relationship.

Unfortunately, some people just don't care about about overstepping their bounds. Even the people you call your closest friends can struggling to know their limits.

Beyond simply being difficult to deal with, these friends can also cause quite a few problems in your personal life, including your relationship. If you're looking to protect your romance, you have to know which friends you can trust, and which you should be a little wary of.

Keep scrolling for the six types of friends who'll sabotage your relationship.

The Jealous Friend

As much as we'd like to believe that all our friends have our best interests at heart, that isn't always the case. Some friends who insert themselves in your relationship are only looking out for their own interests and totally disregarding how their actions might affect you. Meet the jealous friend.

The jealous friend is a pal who envies some aspect of your relationship, and therefore tries to sabotage it. Whether they're jealous of your new S.O., resentful that you're getting romantic attention or angry that someone else is taking up your time, the jealous friend will do anything they can to come between you and your new partner. Their snide comments will often present first as "advice" or "just looking out for you," but after a while it'll become obvious that their supposed concerns are just an excuse to make you feel self-conscious about your relationship. Definitely watch out for this friend when starting a new romance.

(Gossip Girl via The CW)

 

The Overprotective Friend

While the jealous friend has ill intentions at heart, the overprotective friend genuinely just wants to look out for you. They care about you deeply and they want to ensure you're never hurt, especially by a significant other. The problem is, they see almost everything as a threat, so it's hard to know if any of their concerns are valid.

They'll latch onto the tiniest tidbits about your relationship, often bringing up old spats over and over and generally reminding you of all the ways your S.O. isn't perfect. Even though their intentions are pure, the overall result of their overprotective attitude is a genuine dislike of your S.O., which often isn't based in reality. Thankfully, this friend can usually be talked down from their strong opinions, especially if you can show them that you really are happy in your romance.

 

The Flirty Friend

There's nothing worse than watching one of your friends flirt with your S.O. You'd think all your pals would be very respectful of your relationship, but that isn't always the case. Every friend group has the shameless flirt, who often doesn't even realize how their behavior comes across.

The flirty friend can be problematic in all kinds of ways. Because of their welcoming, open behavior, your S.O. will often feel most comfortable with them, which makes it challenging to bring up their flirty manner. Addressing the actions of the flirty friend has to be done with care, otherwise you can come across as insecure and controlling, which will only cause further harm to your relationship.

(Mean Girls via Paramount Pictures)

 

The Jaded Friend

Some pals, like the jaded friend, get too involved in your relationship without even realizing what they're doing. This is usually a close companion who's had some really bad romantic experiences of their own, and now thinks that they know everything there is to know about relationships. This friend will always have the most pessimistic spin on all your interactions with your S.O., which they aren't afraid of sharing with anyone who will listen, including your partner.

The jaded friend is always telling you how your relationship is doomed, often providing examples from their past experience to back up their point. It's important to remember that this friend is probably hurting, and is far from completely recovered from their prior experience. Take their advice with a grain of salt, and be patient with their gloomy outlook—they're not doing it on purpose.

(You via Netflix)

 

The Know-It-All Friend

The know-it-all friend is another pal who, at their core, has your best interests at heart. Unlike the overprotective friend, however, they're not trying to keep you from feeling any pain—they just think they know what's best for you. This is a friend who'll constantly tell you why your relationship is wrong, despite the fact that you haven't confided any issues in them, nor asked for their opinion.

The know-it-all friend will start most of their advice with "what you need is…" and proceed to list off attributes that fit your personality and explain why your current S.O. isn't "the one." With the know-it-all friend, you have to be direct. Let them kindly know that you appreciate their input but that you don't really need it or want it. It might take them aback at first, but they'll be open to respecting your wishes.

 

The Nosey Friend

Some pals will get way too involved in your relationship simply because they want to know everything. They don't really have an agenda, good or bad, and they don't even care that much about the information, but they'll still insert themselves right into the middle of your romance. Overly personal questions, prying inquiries about your fights and constant invasions of your privacy are common tactics of the nosey friend.

The nosey friend affects your relationship because they're always there, no matter how hard you try to get rid of them. With this pal, space is essential. Limiting their invites and making it clear that they're not welcome in certain situations is the only way to truly get them to butt out of your relationship.

 

Now that you know which friends to watch out for, how do you stop them from interfering? Click HERE for our best tips on what to do if you feel like your friends are ruining your relationship.