The 10 Worst Things About Leos

As a fire sign ruled by the sun and represented by the Lion, Leo tends to run in extremes. Their lives are a story of excess, of overstatement, of bombast and hyperbole. They don’t just do things—they do the hell out of them. They never seem to half-ass anything. If they’re going bother doing it at all, they will either bring their full ass to the task, or in the case of their legendary laziness (see #6 below), their ass might not even show up at all.

There’s no doubt that Leos are great at many things, but we already covered those things in “The 10 Best Things About Leos.”

Just like the sun can keep you warm, it can also burn you. There is a dark side to Leo. Here are the ten traits you need to beware of should you ever find yourself crossing the Lion’s path.

1. Egotistical

It is impossible for a Leo to live in a one-room apartment, since it takes an entire room just to occupy their ego. Even though they are ruled by the sun, Leos seem to think that the entire universe revolves around them instead. Although they may be attractive, popular, charismatic, and rich beyond your wildest dreams, they still somehow feel cheated because deep down inside their molten core, they feel as if they should be the only good-looking, famous, charming, and wealthy person in the world. No matter if you’re a friend or a lover, you would be wise to realize that they will never put anyone ahead of themselves.

2. Arrogant

Arrogance is how you treat others as a natural result of being egotistical. Leos have a need not only to feel good about themselves, but to make others feel bad by comparison. They have an annoying tendency to be condescending, patronizing, pompous, and often unnecessarily insulting. Even if you come to them innocently excited about the fact that you’ve just bought your first house, they may sneer and say, “Why did it take so long? I bought my first house when I was much younger than that.” This will eventually work to their detriment, because since they crave popularity like a drug addict craves their next fix, their haughtiness may only wind up driving everyone around them away.

3. Childish

When you expect everything to go your own way, when you feel as if the entire solar system should be your fawning servant, you can act like a screaming little baby brat the moment you wind up disappointed. You might even gather up all your toys and go home. This is why, more than any other sign, Leos are prone to throwing tantrums. But there’s another level to their childishness—when you feel as if you were born perfect, you rule out the need to ever mature. This is why Leo may want all the candy and all the attention but may never learn how to share. It might take a little bit of “tough love” from someone who really cares about them to finally convince a Leo that nobody, not even them, is perfect.

4. Vain

If there’s a sign most likely to get in a car crash, it might be Leo, since they’re so busy admiring their reflection in the rearview mirror. They are not only concerned with appearances when it comes to money and social status—they can be painfully obsessed with how they look to the naked eye. And ironically, this is not because they think they look so great—it’s because they are deathly afraid that someone, somewhere might find them unattractive. They will scrutinize every last feature to make sure it’s perfect. They will spend more hours on their hair than a law student does prepping for the bar exam. They wind up late to every party because, let’s face it, it can take hours changing your clothes two dozen times to make sure you make a perfect entrance.

5. Boastful

There’s a reason that a group of lions is known as a “pride.” As if it wasn’t enough being admired, adored, worshiped, and even feared, Leos can go overboard and remind you of everything that’s great about them. Did you know that they had a high IQ? Were you aware that they are in the top 1% of income earners? Had you any notion that they were voted “Most Likely to Succeed” in high school? Did you realize how difficult it is fending off so many sexual come-ons every day? Well, if you didn’t know any of these things, just wait five minutes, because Leo will feel the need to tell you.

6. Lazy

When you think you’re as utterly fantastic as Leos often do, so imbued with talent and genius, there’s no need to try being great—you just are. This is one of Leo’s biggest flaws. They become like the undefeated boxer who is so sure of their skills, so convinced that they can beat anyone else, that they fail to train for their next opponent. They blind themselves to the fact that when you’re on top, there’s always someone below you who’s ready to train and study and go that extra mile just for the pleasure of knocking you down a peg or two—or, in the case of boxers, knocking you out.

7.  Argumentative

Combative, confrontational, belligerent, and aggressive don’t even being to describe Leos—the proper term would be “warlike.” If you don’t like the same music they do, they will explain in demeaning terms exactly why you’re wrong. If you like your pizza without pepperoni, they will show you a dozen web links explaining in painful detail why you’re in the minority. If you say you prefer winter over fall, they will say that you suffer from a severe character defect and may possibly be insane. If you say “up,” they will say “down.” Unless you agree 100% with everything they say, they will expend endless energy expounding on why you are an idiot.

8. Disloyal

When you just have to be the center of attention, the top dog, and the life of the party, sooner or later you’re going to start cheating, backstabbing, and betraying those closest to you. If a more attractive sex partner catches their eye, prepare yourself for heartbreak. If they start hanging out with someone wealthier and more popular than you are, brace yourself for the eventual ghosting. If you’ve shared embarrassing secrets with them and somehow find yourself offending them in even the slightest of ways, expect them to leak your secrets to everyone willing to listen. In extreme cases, Leo loses respect for those who are loyal to them because they figure they’re a weak sucker.

9. Vengeful

Because their pride is their lifeblood, Leos hold onto grudges as if they’re clutching to a life preserver in the middle of the ocean. Forgive and forget? They see forgiveness as a sign of weakness, and their obsessive bitterness makes it impossible for them to forget a perceived slight short of receiving a frontal lobotomy. One would be foolish to ever think it’s a good idea to walk into the jungle and slap a lion in the face. But even the mighty lion is more benevolent than a Leo who feels that you’ve disrespected them. 

10. Impatient

Since they feel as if they deserve the entire world delivered to them on a silver platter by a humble server the moment they demand anything, Leos are prone to snap at anyone who can’t give them what they want at the precise moment that they demand it. Notice that I said “demand” rather than “request”—Leos never request anything. They even think it’s beneath them to demand something. They feel that people should know exactly what they want and give it to them without them even having to make a peep. As the saying goes, “he who hesitates is lost.” But he or she who hesitates with a Leo will be called a loser.