When your best friend starts to act funny with you, it can come as a huge surprise. This is the person who’s always been there for you through thick and thin but it can be confusing and hurtful when that same friend starts acting particularly weird around you.
There are many reasons why your best friend is so jealous of you.
It mostly boils down to the fact that they either feel insecure about themselves or are just unhappy to see you achieve things that they feel they should have. Your best friend could also be projecting their feelings onto you if they feel like they lack in a certain way. This definitely stems from self-esteem issues.
Alternatively, your best friend may no longer be as supportive or kind as they were in the past and has changed as a person.
It’s not unusual or uncommon for a friend to feel jealous towards you since every friendship is tested in some way and it is definitely not your fault either.
If you’d like to take a closer look at a few reasons why they might be so jealous and what you can do about it, here’s everything you should know to feel better about the situation:
Reasons Why Your Best Friend Is So Jealous Of You
1. They Have Self-Esteem Issues
Low self-esteem issues are the root cause of jealousy since it can make a person feel like they are not good enough.
It could also be one of the very top reasons why your best friend is so jealous of you however this is something that they need to work out on their own.
If you notice that your best friend is always negative and never praises themself either, or is never accepting of any compliments, it’s one of the key signs of low self-worth.
It’s quite possible that they see themself as competition to you which may be leading to bitter feelings as a result.
See also: How To Tell If Someone Is Secretly Jealous of You
2. They’re Competitive
Those friends who are competitive about anything will easily become jealous if you overtake them in some way or just do better at something than them.
This can lead to feelings of jealousy and envy if they feel like you are ‘winning’ and they are not.
3. They Keep Comparing
Comparison is the root of all evil and if your best friend compares themself to you almost all the time, this could be another reason why your friendship is no longer the same.
Comparing things like career choices, lifestyle, looks, money, and more will only feed into their jealousy making it worse.
4. They’re Jealous of Your Success
Another huge reason that always shows up when a friend is jealous of you is mostly that they can’t handle the success you have achieved.
They may start showing bitterness and resentment towards you, downplaying your success, or even giving you the cold shoulder.
If it feels like you are getting ahead in life before them, they will not be happy for you.
This is also related very much to being a selfish, insecure, and competitive person who keeps comparing themselves to others rather than focusing on their positives.
5. They Are Jealous of Your Looks
Another possible reason why your best friend is jealous of you could be that they are envious of the way you look and dress.
You might have had a serious glow-up recently or maybe you’ve been focusing more of your attention on your appearance.
Noticing this change may make them feel annoyed or unhappy to see you look good and the reason for this is that they either don’t want you to look better than them.
6. They Might Be Jealous of The Attention You Get
If other people or friends are paying attention to you, they might start to feel left out or jealous that people aren’t paying attention to them.
This often comes from selfish motives and low self-esteem that makes them act weird and jealous of you.
As mentioned above, they continue to feed into their insecurities by comparing themself to you and what you have.
7. They Might Not Actually Be A Good Friend
Anyone can experience feelings of jealousy but it’s those who can deal with those feelings without hurting anyone in the process or treating someone poorly because of the way they feel are the strong ones.
If your best friend has used these negative feelings to make you feel bad, guilty, or treat you unfairly, then they might no longer be as good of a best friend as they were in the past.
It will be difficult for this person to continue to be a supportive friend or even be happy to see you improve your life if their jealousy is too extreme.
See also: Can Jealous Friends Be Dangerous?
This will no doubt have a huge impact on your friendship in the future and unless this friend can overcome their jealousy and accept that everyone’s path is different, then only will there be hope for a decent friendship in the future.
However, if your best friend uses their jealousy to hurt you emotionally, being in this kind of friendship will only lead to toxic consequences.
Things You Can Do If Your Best Friend Is Still Jealous
Try Talking To Them
If you are feeling really bothered by the situation or sick of being treated badly by your jealous best friend, you could try talking to them so that both of you can discuss your feelings and come to an understanding.
This may not always work out the way you want it to but it may help in giving some insight into the situation or help you realize when you’re dealing with a lost cause.
Give Them Space And Time
The best thing you can do is to just give them time to overcome their jealousy.
It’s highly possible that they will realize that their pettiness is pointless and being jealous of you won’t make them feel good about themselves either.
Hopefully, they can develop self-confidence and work on their self-esteem issues.
What you can do is try to be supportive and understanding if they have proven to be actively working on getting over their issues without dragging you through the mess.
Related Post: How To Deal With Friends That Get Mad When You Say No
Focus On Yourself
Obsessing over your friend being jealous will only make you feel bad about yourself and the friendship.
The last thing you want to do is feel pressured to change or act in a certain way to avoid your friend feeling jealous of you.
It’s neither your fault nor in your control if your friend is jealous but what you can do to make sure you stay unaffected is to show understanding and be patient.
Continue doing things you love and if need be, distance yourself from your best friend if you feel like their jealousy is becoming overwhelming and stressful.
Related Post: How To Be Less Jealous Of Your Friends: 10 Easy Ways
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