Assertiveness - a skill worth developing

Assertiveness is an extremely useful skill that we develop throughout our lives. It allows us to protect the boundaries we set for ourselves and express disagreement when they are violated. Assertive people are able to say no when a situation does not suit them, but they can also consciously express agreement and willingness to help when that is their choice. Specialists emphasize that setting healthy boundaries makes it possible to live a happy life and build satisfying interpersonal relationships. Unfortunately, for various reasons we are often afraid to refuse, but also to consciously express our agreement. Fortunately, developing assertiveness skills is within everyone’s reach.

Assertive behavior supports healthy interpersonal relationships

At first, people around us may react with surprise or even reluctance, because previously saying no may have been unfamiliar to us. However, when we say no in situations where agreeing would violate our well-being, we begin to feel inner peace. In the long term, assertive people build better relationships, because they help others when they genuinely want to and when they have the resources to do so. When we violate our own boundaries and meet others’ expectations despite not wanting to, frustration begins to build inside us. Eventually, we explode or break off contact with the person we have come to see as someone who takes advantage of us. Yet such relationships could often be saved if assertive behavior had been practiced from the very beginning.