[newoldbeemer]

So we have this one "friend" in our group, he sometimes starts acting weird towards one or others in the group. Let me describe:

- He had been "best friends" with another guy in the group for like six years (probably more) but suddenly he started hating on this guy and started talking crap about him to everyone in the group. He would avoid this guy, ignore, insult him etc. There was this new years party and we were all together and fairly buzzed (but not nearly drunk) and I took the opportunity to try and cement things, I said something like "Lets start the new year on a fresh note" and this guy responds with "All I want to do is give him the finger". I was puzzled. Why?? Later when asked he would give a different reason/excuse every time, that would sound contrived.

- Last year he did the exact same thing with another guy who was "close" to him - started fighting with him, apparently they had some quarrels since they were sharing a house and it ended with this guy throwing the other guy out of the house. Was ugly.

- Now, all of a sudden, this guy's new target seems to be me! There has been no unpleasantness, no confrontation, not even petty arguments that I can remember but suddenly this guy is ignoring my messages, wouldn't return calls, answers rudely when talked to, pointedly ignores when in a group (usual things he does when he "targets" someone). I spoke about this to the first friend who he started abruptly hating on, and the guy pointed out that this guy is giving me the same "treatment" that he was getting. One possibility that occurred to me is that he is now hating on me because I continue to be in touch with the first guy who he started hating on.

What I really don't understand is this guy's motive. Why is he doing this? Does he have some kind of psychological kink? Or is he doing this in a calculated way, to keep people from each other? I noticed when he does this, he becomes extra-social and extra-friendly to everyone else (except the person he is trying to single out), and wouldn't hesitate talking all kinds of crap (usually lies or incidents related out of context) to others about the person he is trying to single out.

What makes this worse is we are all colleagues too. I try to stay away from this guy but unfortunately he is part of the "group" and he is involved in all the IMs / parties etc and he will show up and will try to create drama whenever he does show up. Whenever anyone directly confronts him with "Why are you doing this", he would respond with "Please leave me alone" as if he were the victim (obviously for the audience), and if no one is watching he would just say go away or not respond.

How would you deal with this person? What's the deal with this guy, have you ever had to deal with something like this?