I hate my supervisor. There, I’ve said it. I try not to hate anyone, but she does everything she can to belittle and undermine me and make me feel small. I work in the same room as her and have to see her every day. She’s really terrible. I had no idea people could act this way, but her pettiness, vain nature, and obsession with success and what she can’t have is soul-crushing.

She is the perfect spoiled little rich girl always complaining how hard her life is, but she’s too blind to see her own failings and thus blames others for her failures.

I come from an immigrant family where we had to work hard to get by and were always worried about money, so listening to her gripe about her life and the lady who didn’t do her hair right at the salon and how HARD her day to day world is (oh, how awful! expensive vacations! private school and a good fully-paid education! parents who will pay all your medical and therapy bills for you! actual xmas presents at xmas!) is just unbearable. I know she is a sad, lonely person, and she has even said this. She has even said she doesn’t have any friends. But she is judgmental, critical of others, petty, doesn’t listen, and is just not a pleasant person to be around at all, so I can see WHY she doesn’t have any very close friends. She’s downright exhausting. It’s just too much. She has to be always be right. You can’t talk back to her. I can literally SEE HER EYES GLAZE OVER when I talk to her.

A family member of mine was in the hospital and I had to miss work to go see him and she asked offhand how he was doing when I came back and I could see her eyes glaze over when I started talking about my family. Then she cut me off and went on a rant about the failed healthcare system and her own medical issues. My family member could have died, but she wouldn’t have cared. She just has no empathy for others.

Her life is full of gossip and complaining about everything she doesn’t have. How do I deal with these feelings? She’s narcissistic, thinks everyone desires her, is often mean to others just to be mean. Plus, we are both in the same profession and she tries to undermine me to build up her status. When people compliment me and say I’m talented, she challenges them and says the compliments should actually be directed to her because she’s JUST as talented. Why do people act like this? Why do women try to beat other women down? She’s tries to make me feel worthless and incompetent on a daily basis. Plus, she’s a bad communicator and a terrible supervisor and scolds me for not doing things she didn’t even assign me to do. Is it a mind game? Probably.

I seriously think she may have borderline personality disorder. What’s worse is I never know when she’s going to explode. She’s very two-faced. For instance, now she’s being sweet as pie to me, but I can just think of all the times she was awful and I just… I just don’t trust her. The perks of this job are pretty wonderful so I don’t want to leave, though I know, with her supervising me, there is no room for growth and it’s pretty much a dead-end with the company. I feel lost.

How do I find inner peace to put up with her when she is constantly trying to make me feel worthless? I feel like in another life she left me to rot in a dungeon or something and we are dealing with past life regressions now. Her worldview is so distorted she wants the big house, the fame, the respect, but just complains about how others are keeping her small.

I won all these prizes for my work, and she shrugs them off and only tells people of my failings or how inefficient I am and then nitpicks on small details that are really very confusing. I want to stay in my job for now, but she is so toxic and soul-sucking. She’s an emotional vampire. I never knew people like this existed.

My coworkers say it is because I am extremely more talented than her and more beautiful and am reaching outside success so she’s just picking on me cause she can’t deal. Is this true? Why can’t I see my own self-worth?

At this point she’s taken away most of my responsibilities at work and a once creative job is now mostly full of data entry. It’s boring and I feel under utilized. I know there will be more toxic people I will face in my life. I would like to be strong and I know this can be a test to better face the future, but I am kind-hearted and don’t think mean thoughts of others and I hate that I am thinking defensive, mean thoughts about her.

Help. Why do people treat others like this? Is it envy? Is it their own personal pain? Is it all of the above? She says when she meets someone nice she likes to try to make them cry just because. Thank God she has never made me cry, but I am filled with anxiety. The site of her makes me feel sick. Just the way she walks into the room. Haughty. With a chip on her shoulder. (Though she claims she DOES NOT have a chip on her shoulder. She’s really delusional and it’s driving me crazy to be around someone who is so blind. Is she messing with me? Ahhhhh.)

I try not to give her any power in my life, but I really hate being around her. She’s unpredictable, moody. It’s like walking on eggshells whenever she’s near. She moans about how she can’t find love and she should be able to find love because she is beautiful and witty, and I just don’t know what to say to her. I really hate her view on the world. Help me. Please. Any advice. She says everyone’s viewpoints are boring and she is the funniest person she knows and she can’t find a man as interesting as her. Who the heck says that in the real world? Honestly, I am not making this stuff up.

She is always putting SOMEONE down and it is NEVER her fault. I know she is her own worst enemy and will probably be her own downfall, but she’s really, really baffling and hard to be around.

Man, writing this all out… maybe I should just quit. But no. I like having a small commute. I like the benefits here. The flexible hours. How do I find the inner strength to put up with such a toxic, soul-sucking person? I feel drained just being around her. Why do people push people down just to try to build themselves up? I keep thinking if I can build a protective forcefield around my soul then she can’t f’ing touch me and I’ll be free and safe.

Any help is much appreciated. Apologies this is so long.