For those unfamiliar with shunning, it’s a form of social rejection often associated with stories from the past—like Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter, where communities ostracized individuals deemed ‘immoral’. Over the past several decades, shunning has evolved into a more subtle but equally damaging practice. It has become a negative art of avoidance, one that can deeply hurt and alienate its target.

I really would appreciate some solid advice here, as I am somewhat at a loss on how to handle this situation. 

I'm not sure what steps to take...I feel really irritated by his presence, he so obnoxious!! Here's the deal lately he's been threatening me with passive aggressive gestures, for example; he puts on his boxing gloves and pretends like he's gonna punch me, hell he eating something and lifts up the fork or knife towards me as if he was going to stab me.  My partner recently bought a weapon to "protect ourselves" and I was very clear I was against it.  Anyway, he let the kid handle the gun unloaded of course and the first thing he did was point it at me!!!

We’ve all had the misfortune of toxic people in our lives. They can appear in the form of coworkers, friends, and family members. You need to either eliminate these people from your life or learn how to deal with them effectively.

Toxic people are not caring, supportive, or interested in what’s important or best for you. Here are several ways that toxic behavior can manifest: