Many people in the world are constantly abused and taken advantage of by others while keeping silent about It, and you might think that this is because they can't do anything about It.

However, you'll be surprised to find that most of the people that fit with this description aren't the victims of domestic abuse, bullying or physical aggression.

The most common subject of this predicament are those who are constantly stepped on without them saying a word just because of a contradicting belief, thing which only reinforces a loop of disrespect that they're doomed to suffer until they erase It and lash back.

What is this belief exactly?

The belief that If you talk back to someone who has done you harm you will lose friends or people will stop liking you.

That's why in this article I will talk about how defending yourself can actually make you a more respectable person and gain more reliable friends, all so you can understand that you have to show your claws when the situation calls for It.

Let's begin:

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Assertiveness

Assertiveness is the ability to be confident and self-assured without being aggresive to defend your points of view or statements,skill that can be used not only when debating, though also for any other situation of your life where you might have to defend your position about a particular subject, in this case referring more to your own needs, in particular the need to be respected.

You might have experienced problems at work when someone talks about you behind your back or people make fun of you for a particular reason, the latter not being a great deal to your coworkers as they mean It for banter.

However, when you assume that they did It with intentions to hurt and don't assert yourself in the subject by expressing to them what you thought It meant you'll get resented, and your mind will repeat constantly the memory of that particular moment, using It as fuel to unnecesary hate that, when unkept, can be more dangerous than you think.

That's why you should apply assertiveness to your interactions with people that might not have your best interest in mind, all to clarify that you aren't someone to mess with, thing which will gain you the respect of others. But how?

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How to be more assertive

I know that the journey to being more assertive is not that easy. However, standing up for yourself is necessary for you to advance as a person and get rid of negative emotions that might cause you a lot of harm.

that's why I'll show a couple tips you can apply to increase your assertiveness:

Communicate how you interpreted what happened

One of the easiest things that you can do when you feel that people might have caused you trouble is telling them about It.

If you know that the person you are talking to is reasonable enough to understand, just talk about how you interpreted what they said and tell them to stop doing It.

If they don't listen and keep doing It, It is time for you to move on and cut ties with that person.

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Clarify with the other person

This is more a ramification of the previous point, where in some particular occasions the people who might be causing you harm is a member of your family or someone that you simply can't stop seeing everyday.

In this case you should also try to tell them about how that particular thing they said made you feel an clarify with them If this is something due to a misinterpretation or If they really meant It, establishing boundaries for your communication.

If you can't reason with them, again, you should keep your distance.

_{Image taken from Pixabay.com}

I hope that this article could have helped to make you see that assertiveness is not a bad thing, being the complete opposite, a positive trait that so many people lack in this age and that If you use It effectively, will make you a reliable person which people deeply respect.

I encourage you to always seek your best interest and the one of those you love, even If you have to be aggresive sometimes. Thank you for your support and good luck!