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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

To wonder if they're two faced

66 replies

sensitivesarah · 21/07/2024 17:13

I'm weary of manipulative and two faced people. As a classic people pleaser, I've had my fair share of 'friends' walk all over me in the past.

There are two women at work, who are very close and seemingly have always been friendly to me. I would describe them (and me) as classic gossips, talking down about other people's performance and sharing information we have.

I've noted though on instagram they both stopped liking my posts completely. They both reply to my stories but won't interact with me publicly. They like each others and other people's, in fact they don't miss a beat. I don't think I ever scroll past a mutual colleagues post and don't see they've left their mark. However they both must have 'missed' by new home post just last week.

I'm aware this might sound immature and I'm not that young (34) but we've all worked together for several years and I'm weary of them because of their negativity and toxic behaviour (which I also engage in) but it feels like perhaps deep down, I am competition for them also and they are nice to my face but behind my back I'm another person therm criticise, hence they won't interact with me online. I can't think of why otherwise.

OP posts:
New posts on this thread. Refresh page
Cakegold · 19/01/2025 13:37

Hmm, as an outsider., and as someone who has worked for 50 plus years , the best advice is to stop the gossiping yourself, the other people have made it plain to you that you have crossed a line somewhere without saying a word , and now , you are gossiping about them, on an international thread .That's what we see, you are also sharing far too much personal information about your fertility problems, because someone bit you, learn to ignore it, you came here for opinions and don't like the answers, which is understandable, you are feeling defensive and hurt .
My advice is to either change your job or learn diplomacy. I'm not being harsh , we have to work for a very long time , make it as happy as possible and if you can't, move on.
Not everyone gossips!

politicalintrigue · 24/07/2024 07:26

I was genuinely shocked to read the Op was 34.

I can’t imagine what you would have been like at 14 OP.

time2changeCharlieBrown · 23/07/2024 20:15

I think that’s a good call removing yourself from social media. It was obviously giving them power to hurt and snub you
and now you have taken that power off them hurting you and stopping causing you the waste in time thinking about the whys?
you need to think who cares now and try make some real and genuine connections. You don’t need to waste any more head space on this or them

sensitivesarah · 23/07/2024 16:16

'a somewhat about turn it would seem'

@courgettes4eva didn't you happy say you would remove yourself from this thread, then again yesterday say you would 'bow out'.

A somewhat about turn it would seem indeed.

OP posts:
IncompleteSenten · 23/07/2024 15:31

So you are complaining about them possibly being the sort of people who talk about others behind their backs - like you do?

🤷 They may be. But they are just people you work with. Does it really matter if they don't admire your social media posts or talk about you like you talk about others? Just interact with them professionally, stop talking about people behind their backs and get on with your life. It's not as big a deal as you're making it.

courgettes4eva · 23/07/2024 15:15

This reply has been deleted

Message deleted by MNHQ. Here's a link to our Talk Guidelines.

sensitivesarah · 23/07/2024 12:42

*now deleted my social media

OP posts:
sensitivesarah · 23/07/2024 12:41

Addressing the many comments about me being a gossip, toxic, bitchy, talking about people behind their backs and not being a people pleaser - I probably didn't paraphrase every well in my OP.

I did correct this but appreciate that at first it came across like we do nothing else but talk about people. It's not the case, it's mainly our manager who doesn't help resolve challenges for us and is quite relaxed, whilst picking up a pay check based on our performance.

To be ultra specific, there is also someone in billing who we can only imagine is checking out, who holds the keys to our commission and causes untold delays. No reason, just clearly not on top of things. It's really menial things. My point was that these women don't engage with me on public platforms and I wonder if they talk about me. I don't know what changed as they used to a year ago and slowly stopped.

This week I've not deleted social media, something I did a few years ago and was happier for it. I reactivated my account only when I got married. When we had our fertility challenges, I took comfort from women in the same boat from around the globe sharing their stories. At one point a few of us were talking about lobbying in schools for reproduction health checks as part of Sex-Ed, after all, if I'd known about my low egg count at 19 I could have saved them :( it was too late at 31, they were gone.

I've grieved that part of my life and now my house move is done, I'm going to have a fresh start. No social media. No more drinks with those women.. who btw are more senior and older than me despite being in the same team. I think they might see me as competition somehow but I'm not sure. In reality, I can be a bit of a push over and I have very low confidence so I'm going to protect myself. I won't ever truly know what is going but I know something isn't right.

Thanks to those who replied and were not hostile, I appreciated the responses.

OP posts:
courgettes4eva · 22/07/2024 22:32

i will bow out

Mistymeg · 22/07/2024 22:30

Quite surprised at the tone of some of the responses here. Quite harsh. OP has confirmed they go for after work drinks once a month and after a few drinks, the trio share frustrations about their manager. It’s hardly an anything unusual at that rate, there must be a lot of love for your own managers to be so up in arms about it.

Agree that @courgettes4eva has won the hypocrisy award. OP mentioned the then half a dozen comments which had been posted, but it must almost be at a dozen by now, even after saying they would happily vacate the thread. Borderline trolling.

courgettes4eva · 22/07/2024 22:28

Josette77 · 22/07/2024 22:27

Yes you do. We all do. It's the nature of mumsnet.

You keep coming back to this thread to remind OP she sucks and you're glad she's infertile. That's bitchy.

A little self awareness wouldn't hurt you.

it is chat

we don’t have to specifically answer anything

we are… chatting 🤷

Josette77 · 22/07/2024 22:27

courgettes4eva · 22/07/2024 07:27

Reminder - the question is around whether people ignoring posts online is suspicious when they seemingly interact with everyone else's.

This made me smile.

We need a “Reminder” ie don’t suggest i don’t engage in bitchy toxic behaviour but stamps foot i demand you answer my question only

Yes you do. We all do. It's the nature of mumsnet.

You keep coming back to this thread to remind OP she sucks and you're glad she's infertile. That's bitchy.

A little self awareness wouldn't hurt you.

courgettes4eva · 22/07/2024 22:27

where are my bitchy and toxic behaviour?

Calking someone who freely admits that are a gossip and engage in poor behaviour, toxic behaviour and bitching…. exactly how they describe themself and essentially saying… that is shit and stop… is not “bitchy and toxic”

Werweisswohin · 22/07/2024 22:22

MiGatoEsBonitoTuGatoEsFeo · 22/07/2024 22:12

"We are answering, just not in the way OP wanted."

Ok @Werweisswohin? I wasn't replying to you. I was commenting on a poster who seemed to be taking pleasure in give the OP a repeated kicking despite specifically saying that she didn't want to answer OPs question.

Don't you understand how chat threads work?

ForZingyHare · 22/07/2024 22:18

Tbh I think you're kidding yourself, and engaging in gossip about who you see as underperforming, not liked as much etc ain't becoming for anyone. You don't and won't make any meaningful friends or work colleagues like that. You're not a people pleaser, you're just taking the easy route of passive aggressive bullying with the other two. Your obsession of seeing who's liked or commented on what on social media and reading too much into it is ridiculous and immature.

EG94 · 22/07/2024 22:14

Be kinder? Coming from someone desperate to fit in they behave in ways they’re now on the receiving end of and don’t like.

to answer your question, they probably think you’re a two faced bitchy person and they’re right. You’re trying to make out you’re a people pleaser but then actively bitching.

take your own advice, be kinder

I have some genuine advice for you - surround yourself with people who will bring you up, you’ll always rise to the lowest level of who you surround yourself with people who are not the kindest as you’ve admitted you’ll fall the lowest level amongst the circle.

MiGatoEsBonitoTuGatoEsFeo · 22/07/2024 22:12

"We are answering, just not in the way OP wanted."

Ok @Werweisswohin? I wasn't replying to you. I was commenting on a poster who seemed to be taking pleasure in give the OP a repeated kicking despite specifically saying that she didn't want to answer OPs question.

MiGatoEsBonitoTuGatoEsFeo · 22/07/2024 22:09

"Have you read the thread?

My view is almost unanimous

The OP’s years of bitchiness with these two has now turned on her

So really, what advice can one give aside from…. don’t engage in bitchy toxic behaviour at 34 (at any age really but you can be far more understanding if the Op was, let’s say, two decades younger!)"

And what about your bitchy and toxic behaviour @courgettes4eva? I was just pointing out your hypocrisy. And although I've read through and see that you weren't alone in your opinion, I specifically replied to you because you were obsessively replying to her thread despite thinking her question was pathetic and not wanting to help.. So your only reason for posting was nastiness. Hypocrisy. Maybe you should stop engaging in toxic bitchy behaviour..are you a teenaged girl?

She specifically asked people to respond to her question, and you had a problem with that too.
I didn't really have anything to say to about her about social media, but it would be nice if you didn't derail her thread with your petty nastiness.

time2changeCharlieBrown · 22/07/2024 07:33

To answer your question they don’t want to be friends with you or show anyone they like or interact with you on a friends level that’s my opinion
they are distancing from you
I think they are probably talking about you with others and have probably decided they don’t like you it was probably inevitable from what you said.
I think you need to learn from this , if you can!
don’t get involved in other people gossip and nastiness of course they will eventually turn on you. Why people please on people that will turn their nastiness on you eventually. You should be Mature enough to see the error of these ways and yes most people might have done something like this in past but most probably will learn from this not to! You will never gain anything from talking nasty or negativity behind peoples backs you will never gain true happiness or friends from doing so! You wil attract only people that arnt worth the time if you carry on this way.
I’d remove them off all social media accounts so they see nothing and if they ask say you were only having family and close friends on sm from now on for a few reasons. It will give them less to talk about you in the future and less you can overthink about it. It may annoy them but so what feel good about getting rid of them smile and say hi if they ask if ok say yes of course have a nice day
give them nothing but false niceness what can they say about that.
i think it’s best as you shouldn’t be noticing all this or being fixated and bothered about This anyway
my best friend doesn’t like or comment on my stuff and I don’t care , I know she’s still my very valued friend and a click of a button or not, won’t alter that and doesn’t matter

courgettes4eva · 22/07/2024 07:27

Reminder - the question is around whether people ignoring posts online is suspicious when they seemingly interact with everyone else's.

This made me smile.

We need a “Reminder” ie don’t suggest i don’t engage in bitchy toxic behaviour but stamps foot i demand you answer my question only

Werweisswohin · 22/07/2024 07:26

MiGatoEsBonitoTuGatoEsFeo · 22/07/2024 06:06

If you're not interested in answering her question and you genuinely think it's pathetic, then wtf are you doing on the thread? How pathetic is that? Why reply god knows how many times so nastily? There's someone on this thread "engaging in toxic behaviour" and it wasn't OP.

We are answering, just not in the way OP wanted.

Werweisswohin · 22/07/2024 07:21

You're a gossip and a people pleaser? Doubtful.

Stop being a gossip, work on your own interests and get some new friends.

PS sorry about the infertility, if you would have liked to have kids, but that's not an excuse to be a two faced gossip.

FalderalderaldoSittingintheWater · 22/07/2024 07:20

sensitivesarah · 21/07/2024 19:02

I didn't think there was a need to make the post longer but clearly more information is needed and not one person has helped answer my question.

Reminder - the question is around whether people ignoring posts online is suspicious when they seemingly interact with everyone else's. AIBU here and if so, can you give reasons as to whether you would not feel this way.

In terms of me engaging in conversation, it's relevant because it shows they can be unforgiving of others. However we don't 'sit around' doing it in the office day in, day out. This only happens outside of the office at work drinks, when it's just the 3 of us. We are in the same team and most of the untoward talk goes to our manager, but occasionally people from other teams.

This is not behaviours exclusive to the 3 of us, I've heard others at this company and previous companies do the same.

Admittedly I should do better but this is not out of the ordinary. I'm a people pleaser because probably I want to be liked and if I engage in whatever conversation is topical, then I feel like I'm bonding. Please be kinder.

So just because other people gossip, you think that makes your behaviour acceptable? Would you kick a kitten because other people do it? Rob a bank? Murder someon?
You say you are 34????

FalderalderaldoSittingintheWater · 22/07/2024 07:19

sensitivesarah · 21/07/2024 19:02

I didn't think there was a need to make the post longer but clearly more information is needed and not one person has helped answer my question.

Reminder - the question is around whether people ignoring posts online is suspicious when they seemingly interact with everyone else's. AIBU here and if so, can you give reasons as to whether you would not feel this way.

In terms of me engaging in conversation, it's relevant because it shows they can be unforgiving of others. However we don't 'sit around' doing it in the office day in, day out. This only happens outside of the office at work drinks, when it's just the 3 of us. We are in the same team and most of the untoward talk goes to our manager, but occasionally people from other teams.

This is not behaviours exclusive to the 3 of us, I've heard others at this company and previous companies do the same.

Admittedly I should do better but this is not out of the ordinary. I'm a people pleaser because probably I want to be liked and if I engage in whatever conversation is topical, then I feel like I'm bonding. Please be kinder.

You've admitted you can be gossipy and mean about others
Why do you expect kindness here when you exhibit shitty behaviour?

Maria1979 · 22/07/2024 07:17

Easy one: go off social media. I have never had it and nothing I have learnt so far is making me want to have it. It is toxic.