Psychobabble

MYTH 9

You can never be too assertive

In Hindu scriptures the Sanskrit word ahamkara translates roughly into ‘the sound of I’. In the Western world these days, thanks to the behaviours and attitudes bundled up under the heading of ‘assertiveness’, we are encouraged to broadcast the personal voice with increasing clarity and persistence. Assertive behaviour is now the official gold standard of communication. It promises to teach us how to stand up for ourselves and make sure our feelings, needs and rights are acknowledged by others. It will protect us against exploitation, bullying and generally being put upon. Moreover, advocates of assertiveness (and there are many) insist that it does all this without meeting ‘fire with fire’. On the contrary, ...