Passive-aggressive behaviour is a pattern of indirectly expressing negative feelings instead of openly addressing them. There’s a disconnect between what a person who exhibits passive-aggressive behaviour says and what they do. We started a complete breakdown of it here. Read on for a continuation on other signs to identify a passive-aggressive individual when you come across one:
They often sulk.
A passive-aggressive individual often sulks to manipulate or control the situation or get your attention. People may do this when you do something they don’t like or when you try to talk to them about how they behave.
They point accusing fingers at others.
These types of people often claim the reason why they are the way they are is because of the other person. They are quick to blame others for their negative attitude. In such cases, being passive-aggressive is considered a weapon with which to defend themselves.
They play the victim card.
They pretend and act like victims to manipulate the other party’s emotions. So while they are not seen talking, reactions from the other party may serve as proof to a third party that they are not at fault.
They are ambiguous with their expressions.
Passive-aggressive individuals often find it difficult to express themselves directly. They often respond with ambiguous statements like “I don’t know”, or “Maybe”. This is mostly a way to shy away from having a discussion about how they feel.
They like to complain more than they like to positively act about things.
Passive-aggressive people like to complain about everything without doing anything to change it. They have an opinion and stick to it not minding whether they are right or wrong. Oftentimes, they fuss about how things are not the way they want them to be, and how they feel underappreciated, disrespected or relegated to the background.
Sometimes we are quick to get angry or frustrated when things do not go the way we expect them to or when we think we are being treated unfairly. However, expressing these through passive aggression would only aggravate things. Rather, effective communication helps to improve our interactions and relationships as well as our overall emotional and mental health.
If you find yourself in a situation with someone who exhibits these traits then you may want to click here to read about how to relate with or manage people with such behaviour.
