Anger As Passive Aggressive Behavior

September 2, 2022

Deep down we’re all as soft as kittens.

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One of the ways that I’ve played small a million times is to engage in passive aggressive behavior. One of my least favorite relationship challenges is other people’s passive aggressive behavior. I dislike it so much because I became a master of it and I know all too well how much pain I caused myself engaging in it.

What is it and how to recognize it:

when you say nice things and use nice words, but you’re actually wishing to irritate, frustrate, confuse or invalidate
when you’re avoiding being direct and saying things are “fine” when they’re not, and then taking your upset out out on others
saying it doesn’t matter to you, when it really does and then holding it against them
Not being clear, and thinking that it’s the other person’s job to be a detective and figure out what you’re really thinking and feeling
anytime you’re trying to manipulate someone
pretending to be really helpful when you’re actually not helpful at all
pretending to care when you don’t
withholding approval, love and affection

Here are some things that can be passive-aggressive – depending upon the underlying reason for the behavior:

sullenness
procrastination
deliberate repeated failure to do what’s agreed to or what one’s been asked to do

What many people don’t wish to look at and be aware of is that all passive-aggressive behavior is a sign of anger. It’s a sign of great frustration and feeling powerless.

Underneath the anger is usually fear, and the fear is often related to having been hurt in the past and feeling afraid that the past is repeating. The anger is the symptom of the old, unhealed wound. The anger is actually a protective device.

When the anger is expressed as passive-aggressive it’s a sure sign the person feels disempowered and feels unable/unwilling to be direct.

This can be intensely frustrating to others because there’s no hope of resolution. Passive-aggressive behavior that is allowed to continue becomes like an infestation of termites that spreads and spreads until it ruins the relationship and makes uninhabitable.

Most people engage in some forms of passive-egressive behavior. And so it’s a great act of service to be compassionate, loving, and direct. It takes tremendous willingness to turn the relationship over to Spirit and to stand in each moment and look for the loving choices.

This is what we’re called to do now. We’re all being strongly called to get our relationships, our houses and our lives in order. Top to bottom.

In case you haven’t noticed, the call to complete Love is going to keep getting stronger. There’s less and less room for hiding, avoiding and delaying. Our time is now.

Tomorrow, I’ll write more about how I’ve learned to overcome this passive-aggressive pain in my life. I love you and we can do this together!

My Stop Playing Small Online Retreat starts Friday, Sept 9. If you’d like support for making a shift from playing small in your heart, living in lack and limitation, getting in your own way, to living from Love and feeling more free and focused, check out my Stop Playing Small retreat – it’s online – you’ve never had so much FUN clearing out the mental and emotional clutter! Fear won’t stop us! Click here for more details.

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