Caring about other people is part of human nature. Yet, there are those people who pretend to be caring when they’re not. If you want to spot this type of person, here are 17 key signs someone is only faking that they care.
Flakiness in Commitments
Those who make plans may give the illusion that they care. However, if they frequently cancel these plans and show inconsistency in attending important events, they aren’t as considerate as you might think. Canceling plans shows disrespect as they are wasting your time.
Lack of Empathy
Any caring, kind individual will express empathy towards other people, offering them a shoulder to cry on or comfort in times of distress. Uncaring individuals will have no remorse, coming across as indifferent to the struggles of others and making them feel bad for opening up about their emotions.
Self-Centered Conversations
Healthy conversations consist of balanced dialogue. However, Psych Central highlights how uncaring individuals may spend all the time talking about themselves and never get to you. They may show little interest in other’s opinions or experiences, frequently interrupting or talking over other people.
Superficial Interactions
Although small talk is common when you’re speaking to strangers, if someone claims to have a close relationship with you and refraining from discussing personal topics, this could be a sign of their lack of care. These people may seem uncomfortable talking about anything other than surface-level subjects.
Minimal Effort in Relationships
It is easy to spot someone who doesn’t care as they will rarely initiate contact or plans. It is not one of their priorities to spend quality time with you and they may show little interest in building emotional intimacy. Instead, they would rather stay in their bubble.
Lack of Follow-Up
Someone who is detached will forget important details that you share with them in conversations. While those people who do care about you will remember what you say, these uncaring individuals will overlook important events in your life such as your birthday, and won’t follow up with you.
Inconsistency in Communication
Despite Business Insider noting that the quality of early communication can be an important factor in the relationship’s future success, thoughtless individuals will disappear for a while without explanation. They may respond occasionally to messages or calls, taking a long time to reply.
Disregard for Boundaries
Those who are protective over you and care about your well-being will never want to cross your boundaries. Alternatively, those who are inconsiderate will have no problem invading your space. They will push for intimacy of information even if they know you are uncomfortable.
Absence of Genuine Interest
While you may care for someone in your life, this does not guarantee that they will care about you in the same way. One way to detect if someone doesn’t care about you is if they appear bored or distracted in conversations. They may be unengaged, avoiding showing curiosity about your life.
Lack of Supportive Actions
In times of need, apathetic individuals will make themselves known by not offering help. They are unreliable and cannot be trusted to help you with any issues or problems that arise. Instead, they may tell you to go to someone else as they have no interest in assisting you.
Unreliability in Times of Crisis
It is common for inconsiderate people to flee the scene when others need emotional support. Although CBC stresses the importance of emotional support as it can bring hope at a time when someone feels the most hopeless, these people will give shallow reassurances when others need support.
Conditional Displays of Affection
For cold, uncaring individuals, showing affection will be conditional. This means they will only fake care when they’re in public or social settings to get what they want or to appear warm in front of other people. Behind the facade, they are uncomfortable with genuine emotional intimacy.
Absence of Reciprocity
Being thoughtful and kind in your relationships should be a two-way street. For thoughtless individuals, however, they will expect others to cater to their needs without reciprocation. They won’t contribute equally to relationships or friendships, taking advantage of the kindness and generosity of others.
Lack of Accountability
Along with failing to apologize, those who lack care for other people will refuse to take accountability for their mistakes. They may shift the blame to other people or external factors and will show resistance to change or improve their behavior.
Prioritizing Personal Gain
Consistent engagement in conversations is rare for those inconsiderate. Instead, they will only engage when something is to be gained, using relationships for personal advancement or benefits. They will show little concern for the well-being of others unless it will be rewarding for them.
Shallow or Insincere Compliments
The Guardian exposes that one in five of us are reluctant to make flattering remarks. Those who lack warmth will offer generic or insincere praise. They may only issue compliments on superficial traits or appearance, failing to appreciate your genuine qualities or attributes.
Dismissal of Others’ Needs
Showing concern for other people’s needs is not a priority for individuals who do not care. They will show impatience or annoyance towards other people who open up about their requirements, instead prioritizing their own desires as they believe that they are more important.