Passive-Aggressive?

[snuffles_macgoo]

Dave asked:
> What is the meaning of 'passive-aggressive'?  It has come up on the 
main list a few times recently.

It's a hard term to get a handle on isn't it (or at least I find it 
hard) basically it is when one gives the *impression* of being 
friendly or intending to comply with a request but actually being 
hostile. You may not know you are doing it.

EG. (ummmm) I ask one of my co-workers to help me .. they say 'yes 
yes' and are all smiles about it but they actually bitch about my 
request behind my back. It's the bitching about it behind my back 
that is where the aggressive bit comes in.

It's a difficult way to opperate because you never get to say how you 
feel or address how you  feel with the person who the feelings are 
about. You just whinge a lot.

Lots of people do it when they feel disempowered, angry enough to 
whine or smolder but not enough to say 'no I don't want to do that'. 
It's generally regarded as a pretty poxy way to behave but a very 
hard habbit to break once you get into it.

hth.

storm (who is NEVER passive-aggressive - I wish!)