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The Inherent Aggression in Passive-Aggressive Behavior
It can be annoying, confusing, disheartening, infuriating, and upsetting all at the same time.
Many people practice passive-aggressive behaviors.
What IS the meaning of passive-aggressive? According to Dictionary.com:
Passive-aggressive — adjective
1. denoting or pertaining to a personality type or behavior marked by the expression of negative emotions in passive, indirect ways, as through manipulation or noncooperation
For example, I had an ex-girlfriend who would get mopey, her tone would be low and lacking in its usual sparkle, and she’d act obviously unhappy. When asked, “What’s wrong?” the response tended to be a long-suffering sigh, followed by, “Nothing.”
Now I found myself trying to guess what the hell was bothering her, and if it was something I did (or did not) do.
Chances are, along the way, you have encountered passive-aggressive behavior from someone. I think this, from Psychology Today, is an excellent explanation:
Passive-aggressive behavior can be intensely frustrating for the target because it’s hard to identify, difficult to prove, and may even be unintentional. Passive-aggression can lead to more conflict and intimacy issues, because many people struggle…
