What does it mean to be
assertive?
What does it mean to be assertive and what
are the alternatives?
‘Just shout loudly and carry a big stick,’ is what one friend
replied when I asked him how to be assertive.
But assertiveness isn’t about being loud and threatening or
always getting your own way. That is aggression. Keeping quiet
and going along with what others want isn’t always the best
way to behave. That is being passive. Manipulating others and
avoiding responsibility for getting your needs met is not a fair
way to behave either. That is being passive–aggressive.
Assertiveness is an entirely different approach to meeting your
needs. It is about letting others know what you do and do not
want in a confident and direct ...