Do you have the tendency to freak out when things don’t go your way?
Do you find yourself destroying stuff around the house when you feel too angry?
Are you easily worked up even by the smallest of triggers?
Human beings usually engage in behaviors that might not benefit themselves or other people around them. There are many reasons why this happens such as stress, societal pressure, or socialization.
Destructive human behaviors can be learned through formative interactions with others or through home environments.
There are actually a lot of red flags when it comes to destructive behavior in a person. If you recognize any of the following in yourself, don’t worry because there are still many ways for you to change them so you can live a healthier, more positive, and more fulfilling life.
1. Bad Habits
Every person on this planet has bad habits that are hard to break. But, it can get destructive if a person clings to this habit as a simple excuse or with a justification that it is simply too difficult to quit.
What can make it easier to kick a bad habit is getting support from your family or friends or seeking outside help. Doing so will make you feel so much better.
2. Bullying
Adults and children alike engage in one form or another of bullying behaviors. Having this kind of behavior can be very tempting, particularly when people around you encourage and push you to do it. It will also seem as if the other person “deserves” the bullying.
However, bullying is a behavior that destroys not only yourself but also those around you. It also feeds on negativity alone. Learning to stand up against bullying might be the first step you can take to get rid of this specific behavior and turn the whole situation around.
3. Cheating
When your relationship makes you feel unhappy or you don’t engage with your spouse or partner anymore, temptations to stray away from your relationship might start to kick in.
Although it may seem like cheating is justified, it will only hurt you and your partner at the same time. It will damage your mutual trust and the special connection you formed together.
Honest and open communication may help bridge the gaps you might be feeling with no need for you to be unfaithful and disloyal to your partner.
4. Cosmetic Surgeries
It is quite common for adults, teens, and even children to have self-esteem problems. Society often dictates that you need to look like this or that to be considered attractive.
As a result, you might feel tempted to undergo a non-essential cosmetic surgery that will tighten your jaw line, fix your noise, or remove wrinkles. Sadly, what society pushes and deems as beautiful may usually change in just several years.
The best and easiest way to fight off this destructive human behavior is to learn to love and accept yourself as you are. This behavior doesn’t just damage your mental health and self-esteem but also your physical body.
5. Gambling
People seem to love the feeling of an adrenalin rush and it seems that gambling offers exactly just that. Sadly, it can be very addictive. A gambling addiction can make people who feed off it to be self-destructive and worse – destructive to those around them.
Gambling can make the gambler cheat, lie, or steal just to satisfy the addiction. When you suspect that you might have an addictive personality, try limiting your exposure to gambling. You might also want to seek help when the problem turns more serious.
6. Gossip
Being the social creatures as we are, we connect with each other – which is the primary purpose of social interaction and language. Gossip often has a purpose of establishing exclusivity and boundaries of a particular group.
While this tool can be very powerful for bonding, it is often done at the expense of others who become the topic of the gossip. Avoid engaging with gossip if you are ever in a situation where other people do so. You can break out of this destructive behavior by questioning the gossip’s validity or changing the subject.
7. Lying
There are many reasons why people life. Some of these lies can be little white lies made for acceptable reasons. A person may also lie to boost his self-confidence. Others may also lie too often if they feel like people don’t treat them the way they want to be treated.
The best way to fight off the urge to lie is to question yourself what it is that you will gain out of it and whether the consequences of discovering the truth will even be worth the risk. You can form longer lasting relationships if you are truthful and genuine when connecting with others.
8. Stealing
Although theft is usually an act of survival by someone in a desperate situation, there are people who steal out of pure selfishness. There are even others who just engage with stealing to get that feeling of excitement or rush.
Whenever you feel the temptation to steal for any reason – especially if there is no need for you to do so – is actually a sign that you are starting to form a rather self-destructive behavior. Always analyze where that need or urge may come from and be sure to ask yourself whether or not the possible consequences will be worth that fleeting thrill.
9. Stress
Stressful situations will always happen and sometimes, there is simply no way for you to avoid them no matter how hard you try. But, there are also people who just languish in stress instead of taking the necessary steps to get rid of it.
It may make you feel good in the meantime to just constantly complain about how stressful your life is and let it conquer you. But, once that feeling goes away, you will become too stressed out to the point that you no longer have any energy left to de-stress.
You can improve your life in tenfold if you make sure to take time to come up with a game plan on how to deal with stress and how to care for yourself whenever it happens. Stress is a destructive human behavior that you should nip right in the bud.
10. Violence
Experts believe that the need for violence is a trait that evolved with the human beings’ survival instinct. But, modern people are not gatherers and hunters anymore and their ability to engage in calm disputes has evolved together with their ability to engage on a more intimate level through social interactions and language.
Neuroplasticity is one powerful tool that rewires the brain from getting dopamine as a response to aggressive events or situations. Preventing yourself from taking pleasure or engaging in any form of violence like harassment or fights can make your disposition in your life so much better.
The Bottom Line
A person with a destructive behavior will soon become surrounded by others who also have one form or another of destructive behaviors. Once you recognize or notice these behaviors in yourself or other people around you, it is important to learn how to fight them.
Learning to be mindful of your social interactions, your behaviors, and your life as a whole are the most important steps you can take to turn your life around or help others in your own little way.