12 Subtle Ways People Show Us Who They Really are

Think back to an argument you’ve recently had: were you insulting the other person, calling names and accusing them of things, or were you trying to solve the issue rationally?

If you’ve managed to handle your negative emotions and stay calm, you showed great empathy and conflict resolution capacity. 

If, on the other hand, you couldn’t stop yourself from aggressive anger, or the silent treatment, you might have some growth to do. 

So pay attention when others are involved in a conflict too. It will tell a lot about them as they’ll face a stressful situation.

An arrogant or egotistical person will never ask questions about you. 

The conversation will always be about themselves, their accomplishments, and their good qualities. 

It doesn’t matter what the topic is; it will always come back to them. 

And it’s easy to be aware of this because it’s hard to ignore once you’ve spotted it once. 

How do they handle someone telling them a firm “no”?

Let’s face it: we won’t get everything being our way all the time. Yes, it’s annoying. But that’s life!

What can we do about it? Mainly three things: accept that this is the reality, insist until the other person gets angry or gives in, or have a tantrum. 

We’re not children though, and we shouldn’t get to manipulations; instead we should deal with rejection in an adult, mature way. 

So, if someone throws a tantrum at every smallest thing that disappoints them –run!

If someone can’t take criticism or rejection well, they also can’t take responsibility for their actions. 

When things don’t go according to plan, it’s easy to start blaming others. But it’s also not the best way to deal with an emergency.

This kind of mentality is not a sign of maturity. 

When trying to process a mistake, mature people:

• admit they were wrong;
• take steps to remediate or better the situation;
• communicate openly.

Achieving a milestone in life is something to celebrate. 

Whether you’ve opened a business or gotten that promotion at your work, you’re bound to notice who is glad you’re doing well. 

Do the people around you/ close to you celebrate your achievements with genuine joy? Or are some of them a little bit envious?

However they respond to you doing well, it’s a dead giveaway of their character, self-esteem, and confidence. 

If somebody doesn’t hesitate when animals suffer or need help, how do you think they’d treat people? 

Animals are living creatures, not inanimate objects that we can discard when we don’t like them anymore. 

If you know somebody that regularly volunteers at an animal shelter or that they rescue dogs from the street, this is very telling: they care. 

You can also notice how they care about their own pet if they have one. Are they loving and attentive to their needs? Or do they shout at them and ignore them when they ask for attention or food?

As the saying goes: “drunken words are sober thoughts.”

Alcohol lowers our inhibitions. We often say the things we haven’t dared to say sober, and those parts we try not to show are the ones that come to light when we drink. 

When someone is aggressive or behaves inappropriately while drinking, this means that they have violent tendencies on a daily basis. Alcohol just shows it better. 

When someone speaks about the person closest to their heart, the way they portray that person can reveal a great deal. 

If they roll their eyes, let out an exasperated sigh, and say, “Oh, it’s so annoying that X is always…,” proceeding to disclose every little detail about their supposed close companion, it may indicate that they are dealing with some significant challenges.

Perhaps they are projecting their insecurities onto that person, or they may have experienced difficulties forming genuine connections. It is even possible that they exhibit similar behaviors to those they complain about. 

When it comes to our personality, how we choose to spend our leisure time can offer valuable insights.

Someone who dedicates their free moments to positive and purposeful activities likely possesses an admirable drive, discipline, and a clear understanding of their priorities.

On the other hand, individuals who consistently allocate all their leisure time to partying or indulging in unhealthy behaviors like excessive drinking may indicate a lack of ambition and self-control.

Sadly, there are unfortunate circumstances where individuals have had to sever ties with their mothers or don’t have the option to build a relationship with them. 

However, for those who have a good relationship with their mom, how they treat her reveals a lot about them. 

In the case of men, it can reflect their overall perception of women. If they disrespect or belittle their mother, they’ll likely display similar behavior towards other women in their lives.

For women, their relationship with their mom can provide insight into their capacity to form meaningful connections with other females.