80+ Toxic People Quotes to Help You Break Free and Flourish

Here are some of the most powerful toxic people quotes we’ve been able to find to help embrace your inner truth and realize your full potential.

We’ve all had to deal with toxic people: an overbearing boss, an unsupportive partner, an insensitive friend. You probably don’t need to think hard to find an example of whom I’m talking about.

Toxic people deplete our energy and leave us feeling anxious and frustrated. This is dangerous because the people around us set the conditions for our mindset to develop.

When the people we surround ourselves with give off negative, defeatist energy, we might slip into fixed-mindset thinking. Defensive and self-critical, fixed-mindset thinking limits our horizons and holds us back from achieving our full potential.

That’s why the way you handle these people—as well as the way you handle yourself around these people—will dictate the extent to which your time can be spent on growth activities rather than fixed ones.

Identifying the Signs of a Toxic Person in Your Life

It might sound obvious, but you need to be able to identify the toxic people in your life if you’re ever going to have a chance of dealing with them in a way that won’t hold you back. Unfortunately, too many people struggle with this. The signs that a person in your life is toxic can be difficult to notice because they tend to come mixed up with contrasting signals that draw you toward them.

It isn’t hard to think of a time when a friend or a partner did something we interpreted as offensive or demeaning. While moments like this can hurt at the time, if they are truly unintentional and discussed freely, they tend to happen fewer and farther between over time.

But when this doesn’t happen—when that person about whom you care deeply leaves you feeling down, time and time again—you must take the difficult step to acknowledge and address the affect these interactions have on you.

Here are some powerful quotes that I hope will inspire you to reclaim the narrative of your life and surround yourself with people who will support you in your journey.

Inspiring Toxic People Quotes

On Identifying Toxic People

As mentioned above, simply identifying who the toxic people are in your life is a challenge for many.

Our attention is constantly being drawn outward, leaving us little precious time for personal reflection and growth. In the end, the best way to identify a toxic person is to look inwardly and ask yourself how you feel after you interact with them. Do they reduce your energy? Bring down your mood?

Toxic people are insidious and can even be a close friend or family member. They can be someone with whom you have many good memories and don’t want to say goodbye to.

And while you don’t always have to say goodbye to these people, you do have to change the dynamic to one that is more equitable. And the first step in changing the dynamic is recognizing it.

Here are some outstanding quotes to help you in your journey to identify the toxic people in your life:

1. “Some of the most poisonous people come disguised as friends and family.”
2. “You cannot expect to live a positive life if you hang with negative people.” — Joel Osteen
3. “Toxic people attach themselves like cinder blocks tied to your ankles, and then invite you for a swim in their poisoned waters.” ― John Mark Green
4. “If they do it often, it isn’t a mistake; it’s just their behavior.” — Dr. Steve Maraboli
5. “Poisonous relationships can alter our perception. You can spend many years thinking you’re worthless. But you’re not worthless. You’re under-appreciated.” — Dr. Steve Maraboli
6. “Toxic relationships are like a good pasta that has been overcooked.” ― Asa Don Brown
7. “As important as it is to learn how to deal with different kinds of people, truly toxic people will never be worth your time and energy — and they take a lot of each. Toxic people create unnecessary complexity, strife, and, worst of all, stress.” — Travis Bradberry
8. “Unhappy people can be very dangerous, don’t forget that.” ― S.E. Lynes
9. “Look around you at the people you spend the most time with and realize that your life can’t rise any higher than your friendships.” ― Mandy Hale
10. “The people in your life will either help you shake hands with yourself or they’ll teach you what you don’t want. Everyone, eventually, does one or the other. All pain transforms to learning. All love transforms to self-awareness.” ― Vironika Tugaleva
11. “The friends who would forsake you for choosing to live a positive life, would also leave you if you find yourself going through some painful consequences due to some negative decisions and actions.” ― Edmond Mbiaka
12. “Toxic people attach themselves like cinder blocks tied to your ankles, and then invite you for a swim in their poisoned waters.” ― John Mark Green
13. “There are only two kinds of people who can drain your energy: those you love, and those you fear. In both instances it is you who let them in. They did not force their way into your aura, or pry their way into your reality experience.” ― Anthon St. Maarten
14. “We do not have to be mental health professionals to identify the traits of the possible sociopaths among us.” ― P.A. Speers
15. “The quality of your life is the quality of your relationships.” — Anthony Robbins
16. “Controllers, abusers, and manipulative people don’t question themselves. They don’t ask themselves if the problem is them. They always say the problem is someone else.” — Darlene Quimet
17. “An oppressive nature is like inclement weather, surrounding others and crushing them down with its infectious gloom.” ― Stewart Stafford
18. “Save your skin from the corrosive acids from the mouths of toxic people. Someone who just helped you to speak evil about another person can later help another person to speak evil about you.” ― Israelmore Ayivor
    

On Setting Boundaries

Upon reflection, you might find that you are enabling the toxic behaviors of others.

If you’re a natural people-pleaser like I am, you know how easy it can be to acquiesce to more dominant personalities as a means of mitigating conflict. There are times when, in an effort to maintain the social order, we fail to declare our beliefs. And as a result, those beliefs are never taken into consideration. In the end, we are the ones who walk away feeling not listened to and taken advantage of.

Only by first respecting the person you are inside will others begin to show you the respect that you deserve. In relationships, we show others that we respect ourselves by setting boundaries for what we will accept.

When we set boundaries, we convey to the other person that we are on an equal footing.

This can be scary at first because there will invariably be people who choose not to accept these boundaries. The hard truth is that people who don’t accept the boundaries you’ve set are simply not worth your time.

While letting these people go from your life might be hard, you’ll find that the relationships you have with those who remain become deeper and more authentic.

Here are some helpful quotes to inspire you to create boundaries with those in your life:

19. “When people pressure you to engage in negative decisions and actions, look at them boldly in the eyes and dare them to do good.” ― Edmond Mbiaka
20. “We teach people how to treat us.” — Dr. Phil
21. “The wrong person will give you less than what you’re worth but that doesn’t mean that you have to accept it.” — Sonya Parker
22. “Don’t settle for a relationship that won’t let you be yourself.” — Oprah Winfrey
23. “When someone tells me ‘no,’ it doesn’t mean I can’t do it, it simply means I can’t do it with them.” — Karen E. Quinones Miller
24. “I found peace of mind when I walked away from small fights not worth fighting. I stopped fighting for people who gossiped about me. I stopped fighting for those who didn’t respect me. I quit worrying about those who wouldn’t value me for being me.” ― Dana Arcuri
25. “If a person finds negative people in his life, then he needs to mend his own nature than that of others, for his own basic grounding decides the level of acidic or toxicity surrounding him.” — Anuj Somany
26. “Love yourself first, and everything else falls into line.” — Lucille Ball
    

On Rising Above the Negativity

Unfortunately, there are always some people who are simply negative. If it isn’t out of downright malice, it’s due to a severe lack of self-awareness.

Whatever the reason, you must come to terms with the fact that the only person you can control is yourself. You must find a way to rise above the negativity generated by other people so that you can move forward and go about the work of fulfilling your dreams.

If you let yourself get dragged into negativity, you become a mirror of that which you despise. In effect, you become infected by the toxicity of others.

It takes strength to take the high road, but doing so is the only way to move beyond harmful, toxic people.

27. “Toxic people will make you feel like you’re holding a grudge. No, dude. That’s a boundary.”
28. “While you can’t control someone’s negative behavior, you can control how long you participate in it.” — Unknown
29. “Pay no attention to toxic words. What people say is often a reflection of themselves, not you.” ― Christian Baloga
30. “I have found the best way to deal with a toxic person is to not respond in any other way than monotone voice and a businesslike manner.” ― Jen Grice
31. “An entire sea of water can’t sink a ship unless it gets inside the ship. Similarly, the negativity of the world can’t put you down unless you allow it to get inside you.” — Goi Nasu
32. “The less you respond to negative people, the more powerful your life will become.”
33. “What’s more toxic than what they have done, think, or have said about you is how you let your mind receive it. In a world as ours filled with so much noise and hate, what suffers the most is our minds. Know when to keep your mind shut!” ― Chinonye J. Chidolue
34. “Stop letting people who do so little for you control so much of your mind, feelings, and emotions.” — Will Smith
35. “May you reach that level within, where you no longer allow your past or people with toxic intentions to negatively affect or condition you.” ― Lalah Delia
36. “Keep away from people who try to belittle your ambitions. Small people always do that, but the really great make you feel that you, too can become great.” — Mark Twain
37. “If you attach to the negative behavior of others it brings you down to their level.” — Guru Singh
38. “If it comes, let it come. If it goes, it’s ok, let it go. Let things come and go. Stay calm, don’t let anything disturb your peace, and carry on.” ― Germany Kent
39. “Let negative people live their negative lives with their negative minds.”― Moosa Rahat
40. “Don’t let toxic people infect you with the fear of giving and receiving one of the most powerful forces in this world… LOVE!”― Yvonne Pierre
41. “Make a habit of shutting down conversations that aim to tear others down.” — Unknown
42. “Remember… Whoever is trying to bring you down is already below you.” — Ziad K. Abdelnour
43. “How you choose to feel today should not be dependent on others.” ― Anthon St. Maarten
44. “Negative people need drama like oxygen. Stay positive, it will take their breath away.” — Unknown
45. “Handling toxic people is not an art, they will be the victim of their own toxicity” ― P.S. Jagadeesh Kumar
46. “I will not allow anyone to walk in my mind with dirty feet.” — Mahatma Gandhi
47. “People who try to bring you down every day aren’t important in your life, so you better treat their opinions as such.” — Terry Mark
48. “If someone thinks you’re being dramatic or selfish, then they obviously haven’t walked a mile in your shoes. It’s not important for you to explain yourself. You get a pass here. Don’t let anyone else try to saddle you with guilt or shame. If you need your space, take it.” ― Sarah Newman
49. “No matter how much you love the person, you cannot change them. You may influence them; but at the end of the day, they must decide for themselves.” — Robert E. Baines Jr.
50. “Never waste your time trying to explain yourself to people who are committed to misunderstanding you.” — Unknown
    

On Getting Rid of Toxic People

Leaving toxic people can be the most difficult challenge of them all. Ultimately, you need to decide for yourself if the benefit of having someone in your life outweighs the cost. For truly toxic people, no benefit can outweigh the cost of the mental strain and distraction that comes with catering to poisonous personalities in your day-to-day life.

But as we discussed above, toxic people can be close friends and family members: your partner, your parent, your best friend. Whoever they might be if you’ve made the determination that your life would be better without them in it, then you need to take the step forward despite how difficult that might be.

Here are some quotes to help inspire and motivate you to take the steps you need to walk away and build a life to your full potential:

51. “Toxic people will pollute everything around them. Don’t hesitate. Fumigate.” ― Mandy Hale
52. “It’s amazing how quickly things can turn around when you remove toxic people from your life.” — Robert Tew
53. “No matter how much you love the person, you cannot change them. You may influence them; but at the end of the day, they must decide for themselves.” — Robert E. Baines Jr.
54. “Let go of negative people. They only show up to share complaints, problems, disastrous stories, fear, and judgment on others. If somebody is looking for a bin to throw all their trash into, make sure it’s not in your mind.” — Dalai Lama
55. “You create more space in your life when you turn your excess baggage to garbage.” ― Chinonye J. Chidolue
56. “Letting go means to come to the realization that some people are a part of your history, but not a part of your destiny.” — Dr. Steve Maraboli
57. “Letting go of toxic people in your life is a big step in loving yourself.” — Hussein Nishah
58. “We don’t get to choose our family, but we can choose our friends. With courage, we can weed out narcissistic people. We can focus on those who do appreciate us, love us, and treat us with respect.” ― Dana Arcuri
59. “Losing will not always amount to a loss, sometimes you have to lose those toxic relationships and bad habits to create a space for better things.” ― Gift Gugu Mona
60. “There are people who break you down by just being them. They need not do anything. Dissociate” ― Malebo Sephodi
61. “What’s broken is broken—and I’d rather remember it as it was than mend it and see the broken places as long as I lived.” — Margaret Mitchell
62. “To be of good quality, you have to excuse yourself from the presence of shallow and callow minded individuals.”― Michael Bassey Johnson
63. “Because at some point you have to realize that some people can stay in your heart but not in your life.” —Sandi Lynn
64. “Don’t let negative and toxic people rent space in your head. Raise the rent and kick them out.” — Robert Tew
65. “It’s very possible and very okay to forgive someone and still not want to spend time with them.” ― Karen Salmansohn
66. “Your present circumstances don’t determine where you can go; they merely determine where you start.” — Nido Qubein
67. “The hardest part of being in an emotionally abusive relationship, it’s actually admitting you’re in one.” ― Anna Akana
68. “Sometimes it’s better to end something & try to start something new than imprison yourself in hoping for the impossible.” — Karen Salmansohn
69. “Cutting people out of your life doesn’t mean you hate them, it simply means you respect yourself. Not everyone is meant to stay.” — Unknown
70. “Sometimes there are things in life that aren’t meant to stay. Sometimes change may not be what we want. Sometimes change is what we need.” —Don Bolena Jr.
71. “We all have that toxic people around us that make our lives miserable… The day we take them out from our lives, we will all become better people; including them…” ― Rodolfo Peon
72. “Letting go doesn’t mean that you don’t care about someone anymore. It’s just realizing that the only person you really have control over is yourself.” — Deborah Reber
73. “You will find that it is necessary to let things go; simply for the reason that they are heavy. So let them go, let go of them. I tie no weights to my ankles.” — C. JoyBell C.
74. “You don’t have to live happily ever after with every single person in your life in order to live happily ever after. Some unfortunate endings are necessary.” ― Joyce Rachelle
75. “There’re folks you just don’t need. You’re better off without em. Your life is just a little better because they ain’t in it.” ― William Gay
76. “Real love moves freely in both directions. Don’t waste your time on anything else.” — Cheryl Strayed
77. “Life is short. Don’t waste it with negative people who don’t appreciate you. Keep them in your heart but keep them out of your life.” — Unknown
78. “If you walked away from a toxic, negative, abusive, one-sided, dead-end low vibrational relationship or friendship — you won.” ― Lalah Delia
79. “Until you let go of all the toxic people in your life you will never be able to grow into your fullest potential. Let them go so you can grow.” — DLQ
80. “Weeding out the harmful influences should become the norm not the exception.” ― Carlos Wallace
81. “I’ve found the most tragic aspect of losing loved ones wasn’t the big boom of the fallout, but realizing later how much healthier I was without them.” ― Maggie Young
82. “Forgiveness is a personal process that doesn’t depend on us having direct contact with the people who have hurt us.” ― Sharon Salzberg