Name: 4 Toxic Quotes You Should NEVER Follow
Uploaded: 2025-12-24T21:01:10.000Z
Duration: 5 min 44 s
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Since the dawn of social media, encouraging and optimistic motivational quotes have cheered us up whenever we need them.

Our Instagram and TikTok feeds do their best to raise our self-esteem by telling us, you got this.

But do you think this trend always succeeds in spreading positivity?

In some cases, those inspirational quotes might actually overgeneralize the problem and stop us from feeling any negative emotion.

This is when, instead of motivational, they become toxic.

It's important to think critically about the things you read online.

What are some toxic quotes you should never follow?

"If you really love someone, never let them go."

In the sea of love advice, this quote seems to resurface quite often.

And if we were in a rom com, it would sound like perfect advice.

Just think of your favorite romantic movie.

Two main characters, madly in love, go through some hardships and fight for their love.

They never let each other get away and continue living happily ever after.

But the real world might not be so romantic.

There may be some cases when the two lovebirds simply don't go well together.

When that happens, not letting someone go, even if you clearly are not compatible,

makes your relationship toxic and codependent.

Codependency is defined by the American Psychological Association as

a dysfunctional relationship pattern in which an individual is psychologically dependent on or controlled by another person.

In a romantic relationship, you may commit all your time and efforts into this relationship,

feel like you depend on each other for happiness, and lose a sense of self.

Licensed psychologist Dr. Renee Exelbert said for VeryWellMind that this dynamic has also been referred to as a relationship addiction

because people with codependency often form relationships that are one-sided, emotionally destructive, or abusive.

And even if deep down you both know it's toxic, you just can't do what's best.

"If you can't handle me at my worst, you don't deserve my best."

It's normal to not be a perfect partner 24/7.

But after the bad days are gone, it's our responsibility to work on ourselves and correct the behavior that we know is wrong.

Well, not everyone is ready to admit their mistakes and fix their bad behaviors.

That's where the quote "If you can't handle me at my worst, you don't deserve me at my best" comes to play.

Do you think that this quote encourages those who say it to avoid taking responsibility for their actions?

This might be a sign of narcissistic partners.

According to a 2021 paper published in the journal Psychiatria Danubina,

people with narcissistic personality disorder believe they are superior and unique compared to others,

and they expect to be recognized and treated as such.

They think they're the best, perfect partners.

They might be reluctant to admit their flaws, but

even if they do, they don't believe it's such a big deal.

So if someone says you should tolerate them at their worst, you might want to rethink that relationship.

Persistence is naturally important for success.

Would the Harry Potter books even have been published if J.K. Rowling took no for an answer and gave up trying after getting rejected by publishers?

But when it comes to relationships, romantic or platonic,

some may take this quote a bit too far, right into the territory of crossing people's boundaries.

Psychotherapist Sharon Martin wrote on her webpage that boundaries are imaginary lines that separate you from other people.

They separate your feelings, needs and responsibilities from others, and

also ensure that others know what's acceptable to you.

And when someone won't take no for an answer, they're actually stepping over your boundaries.

A study published in the Journal of Occupational Health Psychology found that these people are often in positions of power,  like our superiors.

Or people with narcissistic personalities who often manipulate and control others.

So when it comes to their boundaries, no should probably be taken as a definite answer.

You might think positive vibes only is great advice to live by, and

But in some cases, the emphasis on only allowing yourself to be positive and completely ignore the negative vibes might be detrimental to your mental health.

Sadness is an emotion that has been around since the beginning of our species.

It's one of the primary emotions that makes us human.

Everyone gets sad sometimes, and suppressing that sadness might not be the best idea in the long run.

A 2018 study published in Journal of Personality and Social Psychology

suggests that even if some emotions aren't really pleasant, we still need to feel them and deal with them openly and honestly.

That's what brings us closer to acceptance and psychological health.

So when we're bombarded by a positive vibes only attitude, we're actually met with toxic positivity.

A psychosocial rehabilitation specialist, Kendra Cherry, wrote for VeryWellMind that this approach to life not only discards all negative emotions, but

also denies you the support you need to cope.

So remember, negative vibes are not so bad from time to time.

So do you agree that these quotes might be toxic in certain situations?

Or maybe you know some other phrases that make you roll your eyes as soon as you see them on your screen?

We'd love it if you shared your thoughts in the comments.

And if nothing comes to mind, check this video for 12 more phrases that are actually toxic.