Passive-Aggressive: Soft And Cuddly With Claws

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Approx. Reading Time: 2 minutes

Passive-aggressive behavior, a modern-day disease on society, sucks joy and happiness from both the individual and those with which they come in contact.

A Passive-Aggressive Epidemic

I know many people who live their entire life, pushing passive-aggressive behaviors off onto others. And, I’ll admit, at times, I acted in a passive-aggressive manner. More commonly, however, I say precisely what I think the person I feel needs to hear it.

Whether I am in right or wrong in my evaluation and words matters less. What matters is that I spoke up and confronted the issue straight on rather than leaving it to fester long-term.

With this in mind, you can never expect to change a passive-aggressive person as you only control your contact with them and how you react to their behavior. However, you hold the power to change your practices.

Passive-Aggressive Behaviors

Recognizing the faults is key to making a change. Below, I provide a quick list of these undesirable traits that helped me assess where I needed improvement and change. Moreover, this list works for all others wishing to self-evaluate and develop a more productive mentality.

Playing dumb, innocent, confused, ignorant, or the victim
Avoiding straight answers
Omitting information
Distorting truth
Communicating in a deliberately vague manner
Making excuses that rationalize or minimize wrong-doing
Shaming or guilt-tripping those who call you out

Transitioning Away from Passive-Aggressive Behavior

Aggressive or confrontational people get what they want in life. By asking direct questions and only accepting immediate answers, confrontational people get further in every situation or figure out which people are wasting their time.

Direct phrasing eliminates room for distortion by the passive-aggressive person. For example, yes or no questions require one-word answers. Anything beyond this opens the door to escape from the agreement.

Be honest and straight-forward. It doesn’t get more simple than that. In the long run, honesty benefits every situation and eliminates excess non-productive efforts in life.

To sum up, you are the captain of your ship. So, take the helm and progress forward, going after exactly what you want.