The Seven Signs of an Emotionally Unstable Person

The Seven Signs of an Emotionally Unstable Person

Be careful of those who will unintentionally—and intentionally—bring massive drama into your life.

Sean Kernan

Oct 28, 2026

∙

Paid

14

7

2

Share

0:00

-8:52

Audio playback is not supported on your browser. Please upgrade.

Twenty years ago, I was riding in the car with my mother. She was on the phone, in a heated argument with a fellow realtor.

The other realtor had broken the law and mom was calling her out on it, while refusing to capitulate to her demands.

Mom said, “Will you please stop shouting at me?”

The woman wasn’t even on speakerphone and I still heard her unleash a guttural roar, “I am not yelling at you!” Mom and I burst out laughing at the irony.

Sometimes, we’re forced to deal with unstable, highly emotional people.

If you learn to spot the signs early on, you’ll spare yourself from a world of frustrations.

Unfortunately, the signs aren’t always obvious.

The Waterfall Effect of Relationships

I see this trend where a person’s Facebook page lights up with a new partner they gush over. It’s couple-selfie after couple-selfie.

They write huge status updates about how in love they are and how perfect their boyfriend or girlfriend is. It’s one post after another.

Initially, you may say, “Aw. That’s so sweet.” Two weeks later, you’re ready to gag.

A friend of mine is like this with her husband. She writes elaborate posts about how proud she is of him— how he works so hard and is “the most inspirational man” she’s ever met.

He was perfect until he wasn’t. He mysteriously vanished without any mention.

Then she writes a vague Facebook post about how she’s removing toxic people from her life — even though it’s not vague at all and we know exactly who she’s talking about. And then, she repeats this pattern with her subsequent relationships.

And the science echoes this. A study

at Rutgers University led

by Dr. Jessica E. Salvatore found that people who have a genetic predisposition towards psychiatric issues are much more likely to have multiple divorces and failed relationships—which is unsurprising and I share this with no judgement. I’m a divorced man and may have my issues too.

But this does lend credence to the old saying, “If you are the common denominator in a series of problems, the problem might be you.”

Continue reading this post for free, courtesy of Sean Kernan.

Claim my free post

Or purchase a paid subscription.

Previous

Next