Wrong handed

Sometimes you have people in your life who pretend to support you. They are worse than the people who openly oppose you. You probably have these pretenders in your life, too. Those people who have mastered the wrong handed compliment: "That shirt makes you look so much thinner. I just wish it wasn't so out dated." "You do so well. If only you could do that way at work, you'd be a huge success." "Oh, your book is  good, but have you ever thought of writing something that everyone will like?"

The leading compliment is only to soften you up for the later blow. Frankly, I'm tired of the people who pretend to be subtle, who think they're sly, who think they can keep me down. Support me, and I'll support you. Attempt to tear me down, and buddy, I'm walking away, changing my number, arming the alarms, blowing up the bridges between us. I don't need people like that. I'll be happier without them. They can go and find other prey. Or drop off the earth into a swamp. I don't much care.

These hidden enemies can be friends, family, bosses, co-workers ... the levelers who back-stab and back-bite, who rejoice in your failures behind your back but sympathize to your face. They're levelers because they want to bring you down. How dare you aspire to be more. How dare you raise from the mud to reach for the stars.

And when you find those people, when you realize what they are, let them go. Push them away, run from them. De-friend them, block them, be ruthless. You're in a fight for your life. Don't let them win.

P.S. By the way, if you think this post is about you, it is. I probably didn't write it with you in mind, but you know yourself better than I do.
P.S.S. I've removed most of those people from my Facebook, Linked-IN, my life. If you're on there, this post isn't about you.
P.S.S.S. Unless it is, of course, and then you know what's coming, don't you?