# People keep trying to make me look bad



## asittingducky (Apr 23, 2013)

Facing open antagonism and constant criticism all the time. Worse still is the fact that I'm stuck in the situation and can't escape the impression people got a while back. I ignore it but after years on end people's opinions of you have an effect on your self-image and you start to believe you can't do the simplest things. It started off as anxiety because I didn't understand why people were so negative towards me but by now it's just turned to frustration and a genuine dislike of other people's company. I mean I don't get hurt by jokes made to my face, people talking to me just so they can mock me behind my back, or even having a skank or two act better than me but it's just made me hate people so much. That's not a good thing since work requires cooperating and dealing with people. Not only that but once you're the loner you get blamed for everything and tricked because you're basically 'out of the loop', so to speak.

This has happened in three different settings in the past two and a half years now, although there were 6 months I got to live away from negative people at home and was able to make sure my coworkers knew I'm not taking their crap. If I had the references or connections I would get myself a nice job that lets me live with decent roommates again and not have to put up with anything I don't want to. Even if that does eventually happen I just don't know how to prevent becoming the loner people talk stories about and have a generally negative view of again. Also advice like "don't give up" are great and all but I'm literally just trying to look at this in a way that doesn't give me an aneurysm.


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## Tinydancer20 (Jun 17, 2013)

You don't really say specifics. What are they saying exactly? So they make fun of you to your face, maybe it is actually their way of including you. I had these two roommates once (only knew them maybe a week) whispering about something I said and one laughed. You could look at it in a positive way and think maybe ar least the people making fun of you to your face are including you in their "fun" or whatever the hell it is to them?


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## asittingducky (Apr 23, 2013)

At the old place I worked they were just complete *******s because they hated college students and they'd try to steal orders so they get more money. They also made everything personal and would even get angry and pout like children over the most insignificant issues with customers. At this new place it's mostly just people acting like they know everything and calling me immature and slow. And when they talk to me all they do is bull**** me. When I go along with what they say or pretend to ignore it, it doesn't really change the dynamic. I mean I kind of understand because I used to ask too many questions and still make mistakes around others. Whatever, either way I still hate the dynamic. So just like how they decided long ago what they would think of me I, too, have long ago decided I really don't enjoy being around that kind of ****-talking.
Unfortunately I don't know any exceptionally successful way to approach criticism and not being taken seriously...


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## Tinydancer20 (Jun 17, 2013)

They look down on you because you were a college kid, so they're all older than you? That's tough. I was took a class which happened to have mostly middle aged people in it while in college, it was a strange dynamic even though they weren't *******s to me. I wish I could be more helpful. I would say maybe try applying to other places to get away from their negativity. Doesn't seem worth it. I know getting a new job wouldn't be easy but at least you have experience? I have very little professional job experience and honestly I'm really afraid to get a "real" job. Afraid of the environment, possibility of getting fired and all that.


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