You Can Tell A Man Is A Truly Terrible Person If He Says 9 Cruel Phrases Without Thinking Twice
garetsworkshop | ShutterstockThe worst people spew hurtful nonsense without question. They might have an inner conscience, but it plays little role in what they end up saying and acting on. A truly terrible man, especially, often says cruel things without thinking twice about it, suppressing good faith in favor of making themselves feel better.
They're not afraid to hurt other people, enjoying seeing them suffering because it gives them control. Their negative aura is immediately recognizable, and it's all evident by not only their actions, but the malicious language they use.
A truly terrible man says these cruel phrases without thinking twice
1. 'You look silly'
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Great men want to see you happy. They want to celebrate you when you win. They're very careful about ensuring you're comfortable and secure. That's why seemingly playful phrases like "you look silly" or "What do you have to be happy about?" are so obviously signs of terrible men.
They weaponize embarrassment to make you feel shame. They dismiss your happiness to protect their ego. They act on jealousy and blame other people for their own insecurities instead of managing them on their own. Every small teasing comment and cruel phrase is a mini-tantrum that the world's most terrible men can't help but make everyone else's problem.
2. 'I'm the only person you have'
Terrible men don't empower their partners to build strong friendships. They also hate when the people in their lives have a great family or support system. Both for their own ego and also for the sake of control, they prefer that people are isolated from everyone who genuinely cares about their well-being.
The more lonely and disconnected their victims are, the easier it is for a manipulative man to take advantage. In the most insidious situations, these men are charismatic to other people, so their victims feel like they can't ask for help. They're slowly manipulated and isolated, but are gaslighted into believing they're insane when they bring it up with people who can't understand their duality.
3. 'You're being insane'
Gaslighting is one of the more insidious manipulation tactics because it works to make a victim feel intense amounts of insecurity and self-doubt. A gaslighter wants someone to feel crazy because it makes them easier to take advantage of and control.
So, no matter how unsuspecting a phrase like "you're being insane" seems, it usually comes from someone who's invalidating and dismissing a real, honest emotion.
4. 'You're always twisting my words'
The best people are often terrible liars and the worst people are the best liars. They're constantly lying to themselves, so they're always lying to other people to save their own misleading narrative. It's a way for them to protect their fragile ego, hence the defensive phrases like this that pop up often.
Instead of owning their own mistakes or taking accountability for what they've done wrong, terrible people double down. They make the person expressing hurt or pain feel responsible for it themselves, instead of being empathetic and supportive like a truly good person would.
5. 'You're literally fine'
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Dismissing someone's needs and fears is a common sign of a terrible person, and specifically, a terrible man. Especially in a close relationship, someone invalidating your feelings to protect their own comfort is not a good person or partner.
Especially on social media, terrible men often comment things like "you're fine" or "I think you'll be okay" when women speak about feeling unsafe in public or around certain types of men. They're walking reminders that the most terrible men are usually also openly misogynistic and unempathetic.
They're coping with a low ego, so they're obsessed with power, control, status, and appearance, and these comments reveal that.
6. 'Nobody will ever love you'
Terrible men and partners isolate their victims by sparking doubt about friends and spreading lies, but they also use phrases like this to emotionally isolate people. They make the people they're attacking feel insecure and unlovable, all for the sake of breaking down their defenses.
An insecure person who craves love and admiration will be indebted to a terrible person who knows how to manipulate. And "nobody will ever love you" is even more insidious and terrible than it sounds already.
7. 'You made me do this'
Victim-blaming is a terrible man's favorite form of manipulation. They need everyone to see them in a positive light, usually to make controlling behaviors and manipulation easier, so they blame-shift.
They make the victims of their bad behavior feel responsible for their own hurt, creating a culture in relationships where nobody actually gets the apologies they deserve. It seems obvious on paper that this is a toxic phrase, but in practice, it can be hard to differentiate between an earnest, insecure man and someone with truly terrible intentions.
8. 'It's just a joke'
Hiding cruelty with humor is a passive-aggressive gut instinct for terrible people. When direct aggression and cruelty require them to take accountability, they opt for the kinds of phrases and passive behaviors that can save them the hassle.
Even when they say the most hurtful thing or an insidious backhanded compliment, they're always resorting to excuses like "it's just a joke" or "you don't understand my humor."
9. 'That never happened'
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Think of the most terrible man you've ever met or encountered. Maybe they're an ex-boyfriend. Maybe they're just a stranger you've come across in a public place. Regardless, they probably haven't changed their behavior because they refuse to take accountability.
A phrase like "that never happened" is an example of just one way they avoid owning up to their behavior: deflection. They deflect until the other person gives up or gaslights themselves into believing they're being crazy. No matter what comes first, these interactions only keep terrible men from evolving.
Zayda Slabbekoorn is a senior editorial strategist with a bachelor's degree in social relations & policy and gender studies who focuses on psychology, relationships, self-help, and human interest stories.
