We’ve all had them. Friends who bring out, not the best, but the worst in us.

And by the worst in us, I don’t just mean saying or doing bad things, like swearing or smoking . These friends cause us to doubt ourselves, feel bad about ourselves, and serve as mirrors in a (not so) fun house of distortion.

Sometimes it’s subtle and sometimes not so much. But for those of us who are hard-wired to see the good in others, it’s something to be aware of and alert to.

I became more aware of this dark side of human nature when I had kids, especially when they started middle school. Ah, middle school, also known as the pit of hell. Friends of our kids, who had previously acted like little angels in elementary school, appeared to grow talons overnight. Baby ducks morphed into velociraptors. Yikes,

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