Raise your hand if the narrative about Cutting Out Negative People has made you more fearful of dealing healthily with grief and fear and things you really need to talk to people about because you are afraid of your friends perceiving you as That One Negative Person Who Is Therefore Toxic.
The whole “cutting people out” narrative in general seems really childish to me. Like, sure, minimize the time you’re spending with someone, even structure your life to avoid them if you want, but people tend to frame it as, like, just deleting someone from your life one day and never explaining why. Which is a tactic for actual abuse victims that has been warped into “something you do to anyone who pisses you off”.
“Raise your hand if the [reactions to] Cutting Out Negative People has made you more fearful of dealing healthily with [people who treat you badly; who make you feel awful and worthless] because you are afraid of your friends perceiving you as [That Childish Person Who Is Overreacting to Being Pissed Off].”
