Men Who Think The Whole World Is Against Them Say These 11 Disheartening Things On A Daily Basis
Men who say these things on a regular basis typically think they haven't succeeded because life is out to get them.
goodluz / Shutterstock Everyone faces hard times. It’s normal to feel unsatisfied with life. Sometimes, it seems like luck is against you. I know I have been there. It’s hard not to dwell on those feelings. For some men, they’re convinced that life is out to get them. The main reason they are unhappy or haven’t succeeded is that the universe just won’t give them a chance.
“Living life on the defensive can cause us a wealth of issues. Research shows that the way in which we read other people’s intentions shapes our experiences of the world. If we’re moving through life paranoid and suspicious, then our experiences are going to be pretty miserable (to say the least),” says the team at My Online Therapy. Living life on edge can make everything they do complicated. They will likely make unsettling comments about how they feel their life is a mess. They won’t take accountability that they may be holding themselves back. To them, it’s the world that is out to get them.
Men who think the whole world is against them say these 11 disheartening things on a daily basis
1. ‘I can’t trust anyone’
AndreyPopov from Getty Images Pro via Canva
When someone feels like the world is out to get them, they are convinced they can’t trust anyone. They feel like everyone is working against them. If they share their thoughts or ideas with someone, they will just steal them as their own. They can’t open up to others because they feel like they are only hoping for their downfall.
Trust can be hard to develop, no matter what the circumstances. However, when someone feels like life is against them, they will struggle to trust completely. Men who feel like they can’t succeed in life because everything is working against them will choose not to trust anyone. It’s easier to move through life without letting anyone in when you’re constantly on edge.
2. ‘No one has my back’
yacobchuk from Getty Images Pro via Canva
When life feels heavy, we need people we can open up to. Men who think the whole world is against them feel they have no one in their corner. This may stem from their trust issues or their fear that everyone will hurt them. It’s frustrating to try to be there for someone who thinks no one cares about them. They say disheartening things like this daily.
“Being cautious in itself is no bad thing. But if this level of caution has put you in a state of high alert and you find yourself constantly questioning the motives of everyone you meet, then there might be something more at play,” says My Online Therapy. “When we feel suspicious of people and as though we need to always have our guard up, we are living from a place of mistrust. Trust is formed – or not formed – in our earliest relationships. That’s because as a child, we are our most vulnerable. We are almost entirely reliant on adults as children, and without an alternative, we place our trust in their hands.”
3. ‘They’re out to get me’
AnnaStills from Getty Images via Canva
When a man thinks the whole world is against him, he will likely say that he believes everyone is out to get him daily. He thinks he hasn’t found the success he’s looking for because everyone around him is working against him. He believes that it is other people’s fault that he hasn’t reached his goals. He will blame anyone and everyone to keep the eyes off of him.
It can be disheartening to hear this from a man. It’s clear he is struggling to process what is going on in his life. Maybe he can’t land a promotion he’s looking for, or he’s been unlucky in love. Instead of looking internally to better himself, he believes that the universe is out to get him and there’s nothing he can do about it.
4. ‘They think I’m weak’
charliepix from charliepix via Canva
Men who think the world is against them believe they are seen as weak. They think life isn’t working out for them because people can tell what they struggle with. For men, being weak is one of their biggest fears. There is so much pressure to be as strong as possible. If he thinks people find him weak, that may be why he blames the world for his problems.
“Nobody likes to look weak, and even worse is feeling weak. Culturally, men are trained to avoid any signs of weakness as best they can. Think about that for a second. The word fear isn’t used, but men are conditioned to fear weakness. Even more than that, we’re biologically wired to fear things we think are weak. Nobody can see us cry,” says Stefan Bate, MA, LAC, CCTP. “No one must ever hear us ask for help. We can never let anyone challenge us, or “punk” us, or make us feel small. Because if any of that happened, we’d be weak. And weak men lose. Right? Not really. Mostly all of this is wrong.”
5. ‘I don’t need help’
TITOVA ILONA from ilonakozhevnikova via Canva
This is a disheartening statement echoed by men who truly believe the whole world is against them. What is the point of asking for help, they think? Nothing will ever go their way. They will get through life on their own. They feel like they have no one to turn to because everyone is out to get them.
In reality, this type of man could greatly benefit from the help of others. A supportive friend or a thoughtful partner could make a difference in their lives. However, they’re not willing to let anyone. Asking for help is not an option. They feel like they’ve been wronged by the whole world.
6. ‘They take everything I do wrong’
Zinkevych from Getty Images via Canva
A man who believes that everyone is out to get him and the world is working against him will think he does nothing wrong. He believes he is doing a great job; it’s everyone else who is failing to see his potential. It’s not surprising that these men claim everyone misinterprets their words and feelings.
“When someone constantly blames you for everything, it often indicates a pattern of unhealthy behavior characterized by a lack of accountability, emotional manipulation, or a need to deflect responsibility,” says LeslieBeth LB Wish, LCSW. “It may also suggest an individual’s inability or unwillingness to introspect and take ownership of their actions. Addressing such patterns requires open communication, setting boundaries, and, in some cases, seeking professional support to foster a healthier and more constructive dynamic.”
7. ‘They’re the problem’
pixelshot via Canva
Failing to take accountability for their actions, men who think the world is against them will blame everyone else but themselves for their downfalls. Imagine this. A guy thinks that he is going to land this promotion. He believes no one else at his work can compare to him. In reality, a colleague had been working harder and rightfully landed the promotion. Instead of admitting he missed the mark, he will blame his boss. He will be the problem because he ignored how amazing he is.
This sounds silly, but men who genuinely think life is out to get them think this way. Everyone is the problem but him. He is doing a great job while everyone else around him is failing or unable to see how incredible he is.
8. ‘I don’t fit in’
Satrio Ramadhan from diversifylens via Canva
Life is hard for this type of man because he feels like he doesn’t fit in. It’s easy to claim things aren’t going their way because no one understands them. They are above other people and therefore do not fit in with the average person. It’s difficult for them to reach their goals, and they think it happens because they don’t fit in with others around them.
“Everybody tries to fit in because they desperately want to feel at home wherever they are. But fitting in will never get you home. Fitting in is about trying to adapt to a world that’s not your own. You don’t belong there,” says Anne Bechard. “Belonging is about inhabiting the world as the real you. And the hard reality is that you’ll never fit in where you don’t belong. Here’s what it actually takes to truly belong where you’re meant to be — even if you don’t seem to fit in anywhere.”
9. ‘I’m seriously on edge’
blanscape from Getty Images via Canva
When someone feels like everyone is out to get them, they will constantly be on edge. They think everyone and everything is working against them. They have a hard time finding comfort in anything when they’re always waiting for the next big attack against them. They struggle with anxiety.
It’s disheartening to hear someone say they’re always on edge. They feel like they have no control over their lives because nothing ever goes right for them. They are always waiting for things to go wrong. Being there for someone like this is hard because they likely won’t let you. If a man is always on edge, he’s difficult to be around.
10. 'They're attacking me for no reason'
LittleBee80 from Getty Images via Canva
It’s not surprising that someone who feels like the world is working against them is constantly on the defensive. Feeling attacked by everything is exhausting. Since they believe they have no control over their lives, they are always looking to defend themselves.
“Their world can seem full of dangers, and their mind's defense mechanism makes them see mostly harmless comments from others as threats,” says Lissy Abrahms. “This defensive response, though mentally exhausting, often becomes a habit. Instead of protecting themselves, it complicates their relationships and hinders communication.”
11. ‘Everyone is just jealous of me’
Timur Weber from Pexels via Canva
When things aren’t going as they wish, this type of man may think it’s because people are jealous of him. The things that are holding him back come from the world being against him. Others don’t want to see him succeed. They can tell he has potential, and they want to prevent it from coming to light.
Deep down, these men have low self-esteem. Instead of understanding that things are in their control, they blame everyone around them. People at work, his friends, and even his significant other are envious of his abilities. The world is holding him back because no one wants to see him succeed. It’s not because he’s not living up to his own expectations; it’s because the world is against him.
Haley Van Horn is a freelance writer with a master’s degree in Humanities, living in Los Angeles. Her focus includes entertainment and lifestyle stories.
