3 common patterns to identify toxic people: Ankur Warikoo's formula could help avoid the 'worst tragedy'

Recognising toxic people isn’t always easy, especially when their behaviour often hides behind humour, concern, or charm. Entrepreneur, author, and content creator Ankur Warikoo recently shared a post on LinkedIn breaking down how to identify such individuals through three distinct behavioural patterns. Drawing from his personal and professional experiences, Warikoo explained how certain recurring traits can reveal whether someone’s presence in your life is damaging. His advice, both practical and straightforward, aims to help people avoid what he calls “the worst tragedy” — knowingly choosing the wrong relationships.

The First Red Flag: Mocking Insecurities
According to Warikoo, one of the most consistent patterns among toxic individuals is their tendency to ridicule others for their vulnerabilities. These people often make jokes or comments about insecurities and, when confronted, claim the other person is being “too sensitive.”

This manipulative behaviour, he suggests, is meant to deflect accountability while eroding the other person’s confidence. By framing emotional reactions as oversensitivity, toxic individuals subtly invalidate feelings and maintain control in relationships.


The Second Sign: One-Sided Relationships
Warikoo pointed out that another key pattern lies in relationships where only one side gives, and the other continually takes. “Those who do not contribute to the relationship, but expect you to be invested and engaged in the relationship,” he noted, can leave others feeling drained and undervalued.

In both personal and professional spaces, such imbalance often leads to emotional burnout. Warikoo’s message underlines the need for mutual effort and respect in any healthy connection.


The Third Habit: Dismissing Success
The final sign he mentioned is the habit of undermining someone’s achievements. People with toxic tendencies, he said, are quick to dismiss success as mere “luck” or “destiny,” refusing to acknowledge the hard work or skill behind it.

This behaviour not only diminishes accomplishments but also discourages growth and motivation. By labelling effort as luck, toxic individuals protect their own ego and avoid confronting their insecurities.

In his closing note, Warikoo reflected that while we cannot always control who enters our lives, the real tragedy lies in “choosing the wrong ones despite knowing they are wrong.” He urged people to recognize these patterns early and avoid repeating cycles of unhealthy attachment.