Men With These 6 Personality Traits Are The Most Likely To Mess With Your Head
Signs he's a walking red flag.
SanneBerg | Canva When it comes to determining whether or not he’s going to mess with your head, most people make it more complicated than it needs to be.
There are no blood tests, x-rays, or exact scientific approaches that can identify whether he’s a jerk and he’s going to play mind games. But if a guy displays certain personality traits, characteristics, behaviors, attitudes; and reactions, they should be huge red flags signs he’s likely going to mess with your head …. over and over and over again.
Here are six negative personality traits that are signs a guy is likely going to play mind games with you and mess with your head in relationships.
Men with these 6 personality traits are the most likely to mess with your head:
1. Perfectionism
Does he have an extremely high need for everything to be perfect and seem to believe he controls things, including you, to be so?
If he believes he should be perfect, expect that he thinks you should be perfect, and that events should happen exactly as expected.
The demand for perfection leads him to complain and be constantly dissatisfied.
2. Grandiosity
The rules don’t apply to him and he is better than everyone else.
The world of someone who wants to play mind games is pretty black and white — good/bad, superior/inferior, and right/wrong.
He wants to have the best, to be the best, the most right, and the most competent; do everything his way; own everything; and control everyone.
3. Unaccountable
He lacks the ability or desire to take responsibility, blaming and deflecting instead. Although he wants to be in control, he never wants to be responsible for results — unless everything goes exactly his way.
If things don’t go according to his plan or if he feels criticized or less than perfect, he’ll place all the blame externally.
Sometimes that blame is generalized (e.g. all law enforcement), whereas other times a person is the negative object (e.g. their parents, in-laws, employer) that limits their ability to “do” what they want to “do” when they want to “do” it.
4. Self-focused
Everything has to be “about him.”
Have you ever tried to be friends or a love partner with someone who is all about themselves? Someone who only listens to themselves?
A person who changes the topic gets defensive, or mad at you when you try to talk about difficulties you've been experiencing suggests red flag behavior. Think of it as one-sided listening, where the other person is dismissive of what you say and may be quick to anger if your view is different than theirs.
5. Attention seeking
He needs your constant attention. No matter how much you tell him you love him, admire him, approve of him, or spend time with him, it's never enough — because deep down he doesn’t believe anyone can love them.
He’s insecure and fearful of not measuring up.
The constant need for praise and approval from others is an effort to make shore up a fragile ego.
6. Hypersensitivity
He always takes criticism personally.
Don’t try to make the mistake of trying to reason and use logic with him in hopes he will understand how his behaviors have an impact on you.
You may think that if he understands how his behavior has hurt you he will change how he reacts in the future. Instead, expect he will listen only to then dismiss, negate, ignore, and minimize your concerns, comments, and feelings.
How a person listens is a key indicator of how they’ll treat you in your relationship.
Someone who looks to understand others is probably at least reasonably emotionally healthy. Disparaging or ignoring others' input suggests problematic patterns to be wary of.
Dr. Lisa Webb is the author of the Executive Marriage Solution: Translating Boardroom Success into Bedroom Bliss. She is also an entrepreneur, President and CEO of Body & Mind Consulting, and Chief Relationship Officer at Executive Relationship Advisor.