Characteristics of potential partners to avoid (business, dating, friendship, or marriage)

"You can tell how much a person values and respects you (and themselves) by the degree they are willing to inconvenience themselves, be loyal to and respect you" - the late Lionel Spearman, Sr





While I am writing about business in general many of these are universal and can be used in your personal life also

Characteristics / Traits of people to avoid

• Liars
• Thieves
• Cheaters
• Seeks only playmates
• Never says thank you
• Never asks your opinion
• Never says you are right
• Never asks how can I help you
• Agree with you all of the time
• Tell you what you want to hear
• Their way is the only “right” way
• Never says I am sorry or I was wrong
• Avoids being in public or widely known
• Gets upset when no one can read their mind
• Assumes they know what is best for everyone
• Their own opinion is the only one that matters
• Nothing is ever their fault (excuse for everything)
• Never has anything constructive or positive to say
• Will add their opinion on any topic even if not asked
• Focuses on everything you or someone else did wrong
• Confuses objective observation with subjective opinions
• Achievements of others solicits a negative often critical reaction
• Pushes you away and blames you for not staying or claims you pushed them away
• Disrespectful (i.e. - cursing you, calling you stupid, yelling at or arguing with you)
• Is quick to tell you everything they have done good for others but never what they have done bad or wrong they learned from
• Manipulative (i.e. uses word tricks so instead of saying here is what I did wrong and need to work on instead say here is how it is their fault I did this)

Two simple real life examples:

• a person who you are dating cheats on you with someone else then blames you for not paying enough attention to them or the other person for tempting them
• a person you entrusted to run your business stole money then blamed it on you or some circumstance and never asked you for help

If you don’t make a total commitment to whatever you’re doing, then you start looking to bail out the first time the boat starts leaking. It’s tough enough getting that boat to shore with everybody rowing, let alone when a guy stands up and starts putting his life jacket on.- Lou Holtz