Negative Personality Traits Of Aquarius, According To Astrology

Aquarius is one of the few zodiac signs in astrology that can make their negative personality traits work for them. It's not that Aquarius can’t be frustrating and annoying at times, but if anyone can see this as something positive, rather than destructive, it’s going to be Aquarius.

There’s something about the Aquarius personality that can confuse a lot of people, though. That's because this sign is a total paradox. With so many contradictions happening within this sign, it can be difficult to really know their strengths and their weaknesses.

For one thing, the ruling planet for Aquarius is Uranus, the planet of unpredictability, rebellion, and detachment. If that’s not enough to describe Aquarius, Uranus also spins clockwise in a "retrograde rotation," rather than counterclockwise like most of the other planets (Venus being the other exception). So, it makes sense that this paradoxical planet would rule Aquarius, a zodiac sign that is filled with unpredictable energy.

Aquarius is an air sign. Air signs are constantly looking to move forward, make changes, and keep things new and exciting. Of course, there’s always a catch, and for Aquarius that comes in the form of its fixed energy. As a fixed sign, Aquarius is the kind of zodiac sign to always have a plan, build a stable foundation or set a goal before getting started.

With all of this opposing energy going on with this zodiac sign, there’s bound to be some debate on whether Aquarius’ personality traits are really weaknesses. And when your weaknesses are given more attention than your strengths, it can be easy to slip into that negative side of your zodiac sign.

Learning all the good and bad parts of your sign is important. You might not always like what you hear, but astrology is supposed to be fun, too.

Here are four Aquarius negative traits that represent the dark side of the zodiac sign.

1. Aquarius can be robotic and unemotional.

Aquarius much prefers to approach situations with their head rather than their heart because it makes more sense to them that way. Of course, not everyone is as logic-driven as they are. Seeing as we’re all humans (and not robots), it’s often easier for us to handle problems and go through situations using emotions and feelings, which just isn’t Aquarius at all. They would much rather rely on fact and reasoning than anything else, which not only makes it hard for them to connect with others but also makes it hard for them to problem-solve any other way than the way they've always done it.

Besides this robotic-like way of handling social situations, Aquarius can also seem pretty unemotional. As a rule, Aquarius tends to keep everyone at a distance. It can take them a lot longer than most zodiac signs to warm up to others and let themselves be vulnerable. And what makes these negative personality traits of theirs so much darker is that even if part of them does want to be able to open up and love the way other zodiac signs do, there’s always a good chance that something will block them from doing it without still feeling guarded.

2. Aquarius is impossible to sway.

Aquarius is one of those zodiac signs who will stick to their guns, no matter what. While this makes them great people to have on your team when you’re both fighting for humanitarian rights, it also means you get the ever-stubborn Aquarius who won’t listen to your opinion. Aquarius likes to think they can be the kind of person who is open-minded enough to listen to what others have to say, but, in reality, they're much more likely to cover their ears with their hands and pretend they can’t hear you.

Not only is Aquarius stubborn about their opinions, but they are also always sure that they're right. No one believes in Aquarius like Aquarius does. Aquarius will rebel against what everyone is taught to believe because their need for freedom includes having the freedom to think, too. Arguing with Aquarius is a futile effort as well because once they sink their teeth into something, they won’t let anyone take it away from them.

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3. Aquarius prefers to alienate people.

Aquarius has a free-spirited nature that encourages them to share the love and live by the “no strings attached” rule. While they do enjoy being part of a group, they're also fiercely independent, often to a fault. Their ability to stay detached in almost every situation, including ones with people they consider friends, can alienate them. It’s common for Aquarius to lead a nomadic lifestyle, keeping to themselves and choosing to be alone instead of surrounded by friends and family. This can obviously backfire on them and make her even more detached than before.

Even though preferring to be alone is not always the healthiest choice, Aquarius would rather alienate people than let them in. Intimacy and closeness scare them, but it can be more than that, too. Even when Aquarius is part of a group, they prefer to stand out and shock those around them. This might mean standing out in appearance or opinion, but no matter how you look at it, Aquarius deliberately alienates themself so that it’s usually them against the world.

4. Aquarius is paradoxical in nature.

Being a paradox might be more interesting than anything else, but when it comes to Aquarius, being a paradox can turn into being hypocritical very fast. Even though Aquarius is a social butterfly and can make friends very easily, they almost always prefer to be on their own and will isolate themselves for no reason other than that’s what they prefer. They can also be the kind of person who wants to be in an exclusive relationship with someone but often chooses to keep things casual just so that they can maintain their need for total independence. What makes this paradoxical zodiac sign so frustrating at times is that they're not contradicting themselves on purpose.

Aquarius is one of those most open-minded and progressive zodiac signs in astrology, but don't underestimate their ability to show you just how stubborn and pig-headed they can be. Dealing with an Aquarius can make your head spin, but they somehow have all of these paradoxes on lock and even know how to make their complex personality look effortless.

Emily Ratay is a writer and journalist living in Pittsburgh. Her writing and expertise focus on astrology, relationships, and feminism. Her work has appeared on YourTango, PopSugar, Yahoo, and MSN.