Am I Passive-Aggressive?
If you have the tendency to not address issues and just casually mention them in a negative way, chances are someone has told you that you’re passive-aggressive. Passive aggression builds up when an issue is not openly addressed. Passive-aggressive behavior can be annoying to deal with, and it sometimes brings out the worst in people.
Negative feelings can show up in a variety of ways. Passive-aggressive behaviors are one of the most common. Often, you may not even realize you’re being passive-aggressive. You just may not know how to express your feelings. This is especially true if you’re dealing with something difficult, like a co-worker who’s not pulling their weight or a partner doing something that frustrates you.
A passive-aggressive person can be hard to be around. If you’ve noticed people not wanting to spend much time with you because of your passive-aggressive behavior, you might need to address this. But maybe you aren’t passive-aggressive at all? If you aren’t sure, take this quiz to find out!
Passive aggression describes behavior that does not directly address feelings but hints at them in a negative way. Rather than a person saying why they are frustrated or mad, they make little comments in a passing manner that are meant to irk or get their point across.
A person may struggle to handle angry feelings and fail to recognize their own passive-aggressive behaviors. Signs of passive-aggressive behaviors include the silent treatment, dropping small hints as to why you're mad, or giving fake praise meant to belittle someone.
Passive-aggressive communication is not a good way to build a relationship. People who behave passive-aggressively are difficult to get along with. They often lack self-confidence, and they struggle with emotional intimacy. Backhanded compliments are a signature of passive-aggressive behavior.