Aggressive Behavior Vs. Assertive Behavior

Aggressive behavior can prevent the growth of healthy relationships.

When it comes to everyday social interactions, it is usually best to avoid being too passive or too dominating. Strong leaders and effective communicators know how to strike a balance.

Aggressive Behavior

Aggressive behavior involves a disregard for the opinions and feelings of others. Bullying, whether verbal or physical in nature, is an example of aggressive behavior. Aggressive people use fear tactics to get what they want, but this ultimately creates distrust and rarely fosters true respect.

Assertive Behavior

Assertive behavior demonstrates self-confidence while maintaining respect for others. An assertive person voices his opinions and thoughts, but never resorts to attempts at overwhelming others.

Benefits

Assertiveness can reduce stress by nurturing the growth of positive relationships and minimizing internalized anger and anxiety. If you're having problems reaching this social balance, formal assertiveness training is a possible solution.

References

• MayoClinic: Being assertive: Reduce Stress, Communicate Better

Resources

• Read this Article in Spanish