The 5 Dangerous People Carl Jung Says You Must Avoid At All Costs
These types of people will wreck your life if you let them.
Marlon Alves | Unsplash One of the main ideas from Carl Jung’s work is that we must all observe the patterns in our lives — the quiet habits, the people we surround ourselves with, and most importantly, the unconscious actions.
He’s still considered one of the greatest minds who was able to decode our psyche — why we act the way we do and why certain events happen in our lives. Spoiler: most of them are caused by our actions, but few of us are aware of this.
He decoded the human mind and stated what kind of emotional baggage and unresolved issues we all carry with us, based on how we carry ourselves and our way of thinking.
Now we have a list of people that Carl Jung advises everyone to stay away from. Why? Because they cannot be trusted, and they will slowly drain all your energy. So until they become aware of their actions and work on themselves, you should absolutely avoid these five types of people.
The 5 dangerous people Carl Jung says you must avoid at all costs:
1. The constant victim who blames everyone else
We all have someone in our lives who is just a victim of ... life. Bad things always happen to them, they always have bad luck, everyone hurts them, and they never do anything bad. Ever.
They are never to blame. Everything that happens is somebody else’s fault. Somehow, they are never the cause. They simply have to put up with the effects.
What they don’t seem to realize is that, more often than not, it starts with them. The events they complain about are just the aftermath of previous actions or decisions.
And the people who harm them? They just respond to their behavior. They defend themselves, they react — they don’t attack.
Sure, we all go through difficult times, and sometimes we are not in control of the situation — we certainly are not in control of how others treat us.
But — and there is a big but here, if someone is constantly complaining about how unfair life is and how nothing ever goes their way, then maybe you should keep your distance.
Nothing will drag you down more than being around people who lack self-awareness and blame everyone but themselves for their own decisions.
2. The morally superior know-it-all
ArtMari / Shutterstock
Moral superiority is a dangerous thing, and these people truly suffer from it. They have strong values and never miss an opportunity to state them. And point fingers.
They make blunt and offensive remarks, but they hide behind the morality curtain. They don’t criticize you, they educate you. Or so they think.
They don’t yell when you do something wrong — and by wrong, I mean something different than what they think is right. They act disappointed. They disapprove. Of your actions. And of you as an individual.
So you are stuck in a loop — constantly seeking their approval. But this is called manipulation.
They don’t motivate you or try to help you be better; they simply treat you like you’re less. Like they need to be in charge of your behavior. Of your actions. In charge of you.
They don’t seek human connection. They seek control. And they are dangerous for your mental and emotional health if you keep them around for too long.
3. The taker who never gives back
Jung often talked about people who refuse to grow and instead attach to other people. They always seek advice, love, and comfort, but they almost never reciprocate.
Because it’s not a relationship, it’s a one-way street. It’s just them coming to you with the same problems over and over again. Complaining about them but never willing to make a change.
Like Carl Jung said, we cannot save others. If the other does not want to be helped, you have already lost the battle. No matter how hard you try, you cannot do the work for them. And sometimes, we have to leave people where they are at.
4. The performer who lives behind a mask
You know those people who just seem … tight? Who always wants to appear perfect? Who seems to fear spontaneity? Jung said we all have a persona — a mask we wear.
We have different titles — doctors, lawyers, mothers, fathers, daughters, etc., and this persona we create is not in itself a bad thing — it actually helps us fulfill all these social roles.
However, some cannot know the difference, and they start to believe they are only that. The mask sticks to their face. And because of that, they cannot accept anything that is spontaneous, vulnerable, authentic — because it is not written in the script.
They want everything to be perfect, to keep up appearances at all times. To play this role, they have created for themselves. They master superficiality.
They always act perfectly and say exactly what others want to hear. They avoid conflicts. They repress all their wants and needs. And they want you to do the same.
When you interact with them, there is no depth. You feel like you are in a play and everything is already scripted. And if you try to bring any form of authenticity or express your honest thoughts, they retreat.
They completely shut down. Jung often talked about these people, and he stated that it is very harmful to live only to be accepted, praised, and recognized. Why? Because in time, you will start to feel suffocated.
When people repress emotions and needs, they don’t just disappear. They are just hidden deep into your subconscious, and they turn into your shadow, and you become the prisoner.
Why is it dangerous to keep these people around? Because you will feel like someone is constantly watching your every move, making sure you keep up appearances.
No space to breathe. No space to be yourself. And in time, you’ll become like them. A prisoner of your own rules.
5. The critic who lacks self-awareness
Srdjan Randjelovic / Shutterstock
The impulsive friend who criticizes others who lose their tempers easily? The stingy family member who’s the first one to say someone is cheap? The person who points fingers at someone and then goes and does the exact same thing?
Yes, those people. They are literally draining your energy. They lack self-awareness. They cannot see that they act exactly like those whom they are criticizing.
They cannot understand that the reasons they talk badly about someone who simply has the courage to show up authentically are because they are jealous.
They criticize what they envy. They criticize the parts of themselves that they don’t like. What they cannot accept in themselves. What brings them internal shame?
Or the parts in them that they crave to share. They want to show them to the world. But they lack courage. They have no confidence. So they point their jealous fingers at people who show up authentically.
Should you just cut off all these people? Of course not.
Especially if they are important people in your life. People that you love.
But you should definitely pay attention to how you feel around them. Check in with yourself after you spend time with them. How do you feel?
Drained? Angry? Pessimistic? Tired? If you said “yes” to any of these, maybe it’s time to reconsider how much energy you give to these people. After all, it’s your life.
Do you really want to spend your life surrounded by people who drain you? Probably not. Can you do something to change them? Probably not.
The one thing to do is maybe help them become aware of their actions. Point them to the right sources. Encourage them to learn about their unconscious mind. To explore topics like self-development and psychology.
That’s the only thing you can do. Hold space for them while they learn. However, don’t wait around all your life. You cannot save someone who does not want to be saved.
So pick your battles. And also give your battles a deadline. Sometimes you have to give up fighting for a cause, no matter how much you believe in it.
Risa has been a writer for over 12 years, exploring topics such as psychology, mental health, relationships, personal growth, spirituality, and beyond. When she’s not sharing her own insights, she helps others transform their knowledge into powerful stories through bespoke writing, editing, and ghostwriting services.
