Hi im 30ish M.
So I've known this guy in this particular group of 4 friends (guys) for about 7 years. I wanna say he's always been sort of an asshole, but over the years, we became better friends.
For some reason, around a year ago, he started being extra aggressive towards me, particularly in the group.
He was going through some stuff, and I think he felt like I was only dropping by to see the others at his place, not him..
He started undermining me or anything I say, even if it was something pretty straight forward like me saying "we can bring my portable gas stove to a camping trip, we could use it to prepare some food, a steak or eggs or whatever" and he would response so negatively in a drastic way about me listing eggs in my example that others would laugh at it/me.
I can sense that he talks behind my back a lot to the point where I believe he poisoned others against me.
We chill at his place most of the time because it's the most convenient, and so he stopped inviting me.
I tried confronting him, but he started listing general negative stuff, but then when I asked more about any of them, "Like what?" or "what do you mean exactly?" He wouldn't be able to respond.
I dont have that many friends nowadays, and I used to enjoy chilling with those guys a lot.
Trying to take a break or create distance didn't help much.
Arguing his points didn't do much because him getting worked up was being interpreted as disrupting the setting.
Going along with him/it didn't help at all, either.
It might be absurd to say this for someone my age and life experience, but it's starting to feel like he's the group bully. And im being bullied, and I dont know what to do about it.