7 signs a friend is secretly jealous of you

Having good friends is indeed a luxury. But let’s be real. Not every other person can be the Rachel to your Monica. Some may pretend to be your friend while secretly being your biggest foe.

Frenemies are real, and they rarely announce themselves. However, their behavior may give it away. But often we fail to recognize the snakes among us because we trust them blindly. It may be as subtle as a half-smile, a loaded comment, or suspicious silence. Here are seven telltale signs a friend might be secretly jealous of you!

Backhanded compliments

Have you ever wondered whether the compliments your friend gives you are actually sincere? It feels more like an insult than a compliment.

Sounds familiar? Well, my friend, the most obvious sign of jealousy is a backhanded compliment. If you have ever been told, "Omg, you look amazing! I could never pull that off. But honestly, I'd never try,” you’ve been there. You should know that real compliments don’t sound like that.

Downplaying your success

Your success is met with a shoulder shrug. Imagine this: you got promoted, and you can’t wait to tell your friend. Instead of “Omg” and exhilaration, you get “Oh, cool, but did you know I…” People who are jealous of you would certainly pivot the conversation to themselves.

True friends are supposed to be equally happy, or perhaps even happier, about your success. Only the jealous ones downplay your win.

Discouraging you from trying new things

You are thinking about starting a side hustle, and you mention that during a conversation. Suddenly, your “friend” becomes a one-person risk assessment team, and you get asked all these questions. Are you sure? Is it realistic? Do you think you should maybe venture into something else? Only your true friend wants to see you succeed.

The jealous one cannot accept that you are aiming for new heights. They hope you'll stay put.

Imitating you

You may find this characteristic amusing, but if your friend is trying to copy you, there could be a problem. When you start working out, they would flex their mirror selfies from the gym. When you get a new look, they will copy it. Wondering what’s wrong with that? Well, your friend may not necessarily be copying you out of admiration, but out of jealousy.

They want to be you.

Ignoring or skipping likes on your social media posts

In this day and age, social interactions say a lot about one’s relationships. If you are posting something cool but get radio silence from your friend, there is trouble in paradise. Because if your friend is clearly online and not interacting with your content, it means something. It’s rarely accidental.

Criticizing your choices

Friends are supposed to be your biggest cheerleaders. But somehow, if your haircut, your vacation plans, or your relationship end up becoming an unsolicited TED Talk on why you might be wrong, it's concerning.

Because here, the critic is killing your confidence. Not every criticism comes from a pure heart; sometimes it is jealousy disguised as honesty.

They are never around when things go well

This is something you won’t expect. A jealous friend is hardly around you in your good times. But when hard times hit—be it breakups or failures—they show up and offer a shoulder to cry on. But the moment your life gets better, they vanish into thin air. Wondering why? They aren’t the Chandler to your Joey!