Maraming tao ang iyong makakasalamuha sa buhay. Some will inspire you but others will change you to become a better person. Mahalaga na makilala mo ang mga taong ito ay iwasan upang malayo sa malaking kaguluhan at kapahamakan.

…who gossips to you, will gossip about you. -anonymous

#1 Tsismosa. Kung ang isang tao ay walang ginawa kundi itsismis ang buhay ng iba sa iyo, ikaw naman ang gagawan nya ng tsismis pagtalikod mo. Mag-ingat sa mga ganitong tao na walang magawa kundi laging may sasabihin sa ibang tao. Wala yang gagawin kundi siraan ang iba, na feeling magiging magaling siya. You can never look good but making other people bad. They talk about everything and everyone.

Most of these people will make their story more interesting by ‘spicing it up’. They will twist the truth or make-up stories to make it more appealing.  Mas maanghang, mas mainit, mas masarap pakinggan ang tsismis kase maganda ang packaging.

There is nothing so delicious as the taste of gossip… Proverbs 26:22 CEV

Avoid worthless, foolish talk that only leads to more godless behavior – 2 Timothy 2:16. Sa susunod na may naririnig kang balita sa buhay ng iba, itanong mo ang dalawang bagay na ito: (1) Alam nya ba talaga ang totoo? (2) Ano ang maitutulong nito sa akin? Pag ang sagot sa mga tanong na ito ay ‘hindi’, iwasan mong makinig dahil ito ay tsismis na sumisira ng reputasyon ng ibang tao at kaya ding pumatay ang tsismis. Maraming magagandang relasyon, magandang samahan ang nasira dahil sa tsismis. Ito ay pinagmumulan ng malaking kaguluhan at kapahamakan. Baka madamay ka pa, layuan mo ang mga tsismoso at mga tsismosa.

 You shall not go around as a gossip among your people, and you are not to act against the life of your neighbor [with slander or false testimony]; I am the Lord. -Leviticus 19:16

#2 Friendly-user. Eto yung mga taong napaka ‘needy’ na parang siya lang palagi ang dapat tulungan, sya lang palagi ang binibigyan ng importansya. Eto yung mga tao na palaging ubos-ubos biyaya pag meron sila, dahil pag nawalan na sila, alam nila na anjan ka naman palagi to rescue them. Avoid these friendly-user people na walang gagawin kundi huthutin ang lahat ng meron ka. Baka pati ang dugo mo, masipsip na nya…kaya baka maging buto’t balat ka na lang. Mahilig silang magpa-awa effect na dapat palagi silang i-cuddle or alalayan. They will never learn to walk for themselves kase alam nya lagi kang anjan. Minsan gagamitin ka lang nila hanggang sa makabangon sila.

“They will be proud…rude…ungrateful, godless, heartless, and hateful. Their words will be cruel…” 2 Timothy 3:2

Friendly-user will take advantage of your kindness as written in Proverbs 6:1-5

 Aking anak, sa utang ba ng iba ikaw ay nananagot?
² Ikaw ba ay nangako, sa utang niya ay nasangkot?
⁵ Iligtas ang sarili mo parang usang tumatakas,
    at tulad niyong ibong sa kulunga’y umaalpas.

Eto pa masama, sa bandang huli ikaw pa masama, ikaw ang mali. Or worse, pag nagkaroon na sila, balewala ka na at parang di ka nag exist sa buhay nila. Walang utang na loob or gagawan ka pa nila ng mga imbentong kwento. I was once being so kind to a couple, helped them, let them stay in our house for free. After few months I felt they are getting weird. They left the house and told our friends that I was not so helpful enough and I was like this and like that. I was upset and bitter at that time because I believe I did something good to them but they never appreciated it.

Let the thief no longer steal, but rather let him labour, doing honest work with his own hands, so that he may have something to share with anyone in need. -Ephesians 4:28 ESV

#3 Self-centered person. Sila yung sa lahat ng mga kwentuhan, gusto nila sila palagi yung bida, yung halos hindi ka na makasingit dahil siya na palagi ang nagsasalita at ipinagmamalaki ang naabot nya, ang mga anak nya, ang mga achievements niya, ang kayamanan niya…lahat siya ang mas magaling sa iba.

Don’t be selfish; don’t try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves – Philippians 2:3

A self-centered person is excessively concerned with himself and his own needs. He’s selfish. You probably know some people who always talk about themselves, make every issue about themselves, and are generally all about “Me, me, me!”               – vocabulary.com

They are conceited, hambog at mapagmalaki. In the book of Galatians 6:3-4 “For if anyone thinks he is something, when he is nothing, he deceives himself.”  Eto rin yung mga tao na ayaw umangat ang iba. Ang kanilang pananaw ay ganito: “kung hindi akin, hindi rin mapapasaiyo.” Sila rin yun mga tao na walang awa at malasakit sa iba dahil self-centered nga, lahat ng bagay gusto nila ay para sa kanila. It is all about them and nobody else. Avoid these people.

#4 Judgmental people. Eto yung mga tao na very conclusive palagi na parang lahat ng sinasabi niya ay talagang 100% na totoo. They are very presumptous and assume na lahat ‘swak’ palagi sa kanilang mga akala. When I mean totoo is ‘the truth’. Jesus said in John 8:32 “And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” Minsan tayo ang dali nating mag judge na parang alam na alam talaga natin ang lahat ng bagay. Bago ka humusga sa buhay ng iba, tingnan mo muna kung ano ang pinag-daanan nya. Baka kung ikaw ang nasa sitwasyon nya, baka mas masahol pa ang iyong nagawa.

Do not judge by appearances, but judge with right judgment. John 7:24 ESV

#5 The “Orocan” person. Kasamahan ito ng mga tsismosa: masarap ka pag kaharap, pero pagtalikod mo, titirahin ka. These are the plastic or the ‘orocan’ people. These could also be the people na  sinasabi sa 2 Timothy 3:5 ^“They will look like they are religious but deny God’s power.” Sila rin yung feeling ‘holy’ na nagiging self-righteous na ngunit hindi naman makita sa buhay nila ang kabanalan kundi mga pagpapakitang-tao lamang just to impress and mislead others. 

These orocan people will praise you: “ang ganda mo naman today, blooming ka ata” pero pagtalikod mo lalabas ang totoong kulay nila laban sa iyo. They are plastic at wala kang tibay na maaasahan.

Ngayon na nalaman mo na ang mga taong ito, matuto tayong umiwas dahil uubusin nila ang iyong lakas, ang iyong pera or resources, then mauubosan ka at manghihina ka na. Makakasama ka nila sa katalunan, kabiguan at kapahamakan. Maging matalino sa pagpili ng mga kaibigan. Ok lang na konte ang kaibigan basta totoo. Be wise. Jeus said is Matthew 24:4: “Take heed that no one deceive you…”

Do not be deceived: “Bad company ruins good morals.” – 1 Corinthians 15:33

“…Or you will learn his ways,  and find a snare for yourself.” -Proverbs 22:25

#6 Foolish people. Eto yung mga tao na kulang sa karunungan at kahit anong paliwanag ang gawin, hindi rin naman niya mauunawaan. Eto rin yung ayaw kumilala sa Diyos or kaiba ng iyong pananampalataya.

In Proverbs 26:11: “As a dog returns to its vomit, so a fool repeats his folly” Kaya minsan mahirap mag advise sa mga taong kulang sa karunungan dahil magagalit pa sila sa iyo. The Bible confirms that in Proverbs 10:8, “The wise of heart will receive commands, but a babbling fool will be ruined.”

“Do not give dogs what is sacred; do not throw your pearls to pigs. If you do, they may trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you to pieces. -Matthew 7:6

They do not see the value of good things, they will ignore your good advise and sometimes just as St Matthew wrote: ‘they will turn and tear you to pieces.’ So later, ikaw pa ang naging masama. The Bible is clear not to hang out with these people dahil dadalahin ka nila sa kapahamakan. For them there is nothing to lose anyway. So kahit mapahamak sila, use na sila sa ganoong sitwasyon.

Walk with the wise and become wise; associate with fools and get in trouble. -Proverbs 13:20

To the fool, God’s way is foolishness. For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. -1 Corinthians 1:18

#7. Liars. These people are graduates of Bachelor of Science in Tailoring. They Mastered in Embroidery at the University of Lies. Magaling silang magtahi at magtagpi-tagpi ng mga pangyayari para maniwala ka. Alam nila kung paano ka nila mapapaniwala. Liars have good memories. They can even look you in the eye without blinking. At minsan marami ang madadaya. They are also good in making promises which are meant to be broken at the outset.

Don’t marry a person you do not trust because life is so short to be spent on doubts and suspicions. Mas maganda habang maaga alam mo kung kaya makisama habang buhay dahil kung hindi, maghihiwalay din lang kayo. Sabi nga nila that: “Trust is like a paper. Once it is crumpled, it cannot be perfect again.” Wag mong hayaan na niloloko ka ng paulet-ulet. You will feel abused and taken for granted. Never trust a liar.

Just be honest with me or stay away from me. – anonymous

Wala silang palabra de honor or word of honor.

The trust of the innocent is the liar’s most useful tool. -Stephen King

There was an anonymous phrase: “A cheater will always cheat. A liar will always lie. Then they wonder why their life is bad.” Unless a person becomes willing to change, then life will for a liar or a cheater will always be bad. Kung paulet-ulet na lang ang kasinungalingan nya, you owe yourself respect. There is no point proving the truth to a liar. They already know it but will always deny it. Papayag ka ba na palagi kang niloloko?Avoid these people. Mag-ingat ka. Matamis ang dila nila pero makamandag at nakamamatay.

“Their throats are open graves; their tongues practice deceit. The poison of vipers is on their lips.” Romans 3:13

#8. The person who consistently hurts, harms, makes you feel little, makes you feel worthless. 

“They will be proud…rude…ungrateful, godless, heartless, and hateful. Their words will be cruel…” 2 Timothy 3:2

Some will that “we are just humans are we make mistakes.” But if the person you care about is being inconsiderate about your feeling and repetitively make mistakes to hurt you, maybe it is time to think seriously if you want to stay.

Go where you are celebrated. Stay with those who like you not with those who hurt you and put you down and does not make you progress in life.

Ang tamang gawin natin ay maging masinop at masikap sa paghahanap buhay para sa ating pamilya at para sa ating future. Let us mind our own business.

Do you see a man skilled in his work?
He will stand before kings;
He will not stand before obscure men. – Proverbs 22:29