I do mean abusive people when I said icky people. I am trying to sort out some stuff in my head, and I know that means going through, not around, a lot of my past, including mistakes I have made by not listening to myself. I never know how to respond to abusive people when they are not verbally being abusive. I mean the ones who can abuse and come out looking good. It seems like so much energy to try to figure out what people are up to when a red flag goes up. I work in the school system where there are a lot of power hungry and gossipy women, which I do not do. Makes me feel bad to talk badly about other people.That says good things about me, but still I do not know how to react. Maybe by not reacting.