"Passive-Aggressive" behaviour in posts?
"Passive-Aggressive" behaviour in posts?
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Discussion

Driller

Original Poster:

8,310 posts

308 months

Saturday 28th January 2017
quotequote all
For a while now I've noticed people accusing others of the above but for some reason I just don't get what they mean. I've googled passive-aggressive behaviour and I still don't understand!

What does it actually mean? confusedboxedin

-DeaDLocK-

3,368 posts

281 months

Saturday 28th January 2017
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Appreciate your question, maybe I'll leave a response later.

Kwackersaki

1,760 posts

258 months

Saturday 28th January 2017
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I'd like to know this too.

My ex boss went through a phase of using it a lot in meetings, particularly if you offered an opinion different to his.

His other favourite phrase was "cohesive unit". "What you mean a team" I used to respond.

-DeaDLocK-

3,368 posts

281 months

Saturday 28th January 2017
quotequote all
Essentially someone who is passive-aggressive manages and lets out their aggression through passive means. A "normal" person would just openly and reasonably disagree with you, but a passive-aggressive person would react in one or more of these ways:

1) Go silent
2) Start muttering to themselves
3) "Oh okay then, if YOU insist. No really, if YOU insist!"
4) "Whatever"
5) Procrastinate (as a form of protest)
etc etc etc

It's a very broad description of a set of behaviours that depend heavily on situational context, so it's not possible to nail down one succinct textbook description that you would be able to easily relate to the real world.

A classic example every man understands is when asking a woman what's wrong, she simply says "nothing". That is an example of classic passive-aggression.

It's also worth noting many people use the term wrongly without understanding it, which lends to a lot of confusion.

CoolHands

23,591 posts

225 months

Saturday 28th January 2017
quotequote all
You got a problem with passive-aggressive?

Driller

Original Poster:

8,310 posts

308 months

Saturday 28th January 2017
quotequote all
-DeaDLocK- said:
Essentially someone who is passive-aggressive manages and lets out their aggression through passive means. A "normal" person would just openly and reasonably disagree with you, but a passive-aggressive person would react in one or more of these ways:

1) Go silent
2) Start muttering to themselves
3) "Oh okay then, if YOU insist. No really, if YOU insist!"
4) "Whatever"
5) Procrastinate (as a form of protest)
etc etc etc

It's a very broad description of a set of behaviours that depend heavily on situational context, so it's not possible to nail down one succinct textbook description that you would be able to easily relate to the real world.

A classic example every man understands is when asking a woman what's wrong, she simply says "nothing". That is an example of classic passive-aggression.

It's also worth noting many people use the term wrongly without understanding it, which lends to a lot of confusion.
Thanks for this lengthy explanation which is easy to understand but I think it's in the context of the written word that I have trouble getting it. Personally I'd call those reactions you list above "sarcastic" or "sulking".

Your point about it being used in the wrong context may well explain a lot!



CoolHands said:
You got a problem with passive-aggressive?
That's just aggressive surely?

Edited by Driller on Saturday 28th January 11:54

TwigtheWonderkid

49,167 posts

180 months

Saturday 28th January 2017
quotequote all
Driller said:
For a while now I've noticed people accusing others of the above but for some reason I just don't get what they mean. I've googled passive-aggressive behaviour and I still don't understand!

What does it actually mean? confusedboxedin
Try googling it again in the company of someone who can read.

HTH.



Monkeylegend

29,453 posts

261 months

Saturday 28th January 2017
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Good cop, bad cop.

What's your problem with passive aggressive anyway?


wink Just so you know.

Ari

19,826 posts

245 months

Saturday 28th January 2017
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Kwackersaki said:
I'd like to know this too.

My ex boss went through a phase of using it a lot in meetings, particularly if you offered an opinion different to his.

His other favourite phrase was "cohesive unit". "What you mean a team" I used to respond.
Beginning to understand why your boss used the phrase 'passive-aggressive' a lot... coffee

Marvtec

421 posts

189 months

Saturday 28th January 2017
quotequote all
TwigtheWonderkid said:
Driller said:
For a while now I've noticed people accusing others of the above but for some reason I just don't get what they mean. I've googled passive-aggressive behaviour and I still don't understand!

What does it actually mean? confusedboxedin
Try googling it again in the company of someone who can read.

HTH.
rofl perfect

Driller

Original Poster:

8,310 posts

308 months

Saturday 28th January 2017
quotequote all
Ok I think I get it.

So passive-aggressive is just a silly way of saying sarcastic or objectionable smile

About as necessary as "cohesive unit".

Kwackersaki

1,760 posts

258 months

Saturday 28th January 2017
quotequote all
Ari said:
Kwackersaki said:
I'd like to know this too.

My ex boss went through a phase of using it a lot in meetings, particularly if you offered an opinion different to his.

His other favourite phrase was "cohesive unit". "What you mean a team" I used to respond.
Beginning to understand why your boss used the phrase 'passive-aggressive' a lot... coffee
You had to meet him. He went from one of the lads as a manager to being full of bullst "blue sky thinking", "empowering", "think outside the box", etc almost overnight when he became a director.

DonkeyApple

70,407 posts

199 months

Saturday 28th January 2017
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It basically means 'acting like a woman'.

King Herald

23,501 posts

246 months

Saturday 28th January 2017
quotequote all
Driller said:
Ok I think I get it.

So passive-aggressive is just a silly way of saying sarcastic or objectionable smile
.
It means they don't have the balls to outright tell you to your face they think you are talking dung. Instead they whine and moan and cry, and squirm and argue indirectly.

RTB

8,273 posts

288 months

Saturday 28th January 2017
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Saying things like:

I might have missed this in the meeting but I thought it was your responsibility to sort out x y or z, sorry if I misunderstood.

Especially when both you and the person saying it know full well it was your responsibility.

jdw100

5,488 posts

194 months

Sunday 29th January 2017
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I'll look up a better definition for you. No it's fine, even though I'm really busy.

I won't expect any thanks, I know how it works here.

I'll just cancel that thing I was going to do this evening. No it's fine. I wouldn't want you to have to make the effort to look up the definition yourself, I'm sure you have better things to do.


bunglesprout

701 posts

121 months

Sunday 29th January 2017
quotequote all
King Herald said:
It means they don't have the balls to outright tell you to your face they think you are talking dung. Instead they whine and moan and cry, and squirm and argue indirectly.
This 100 fking percent. I have the bad luck to have a part time 'admin type' in my place, who is this to a tee. As she is (mercifully) only in two days a week, she thinks that everyone should jump to her command to allow her to get her work done as a priority as she is only in for a limited time. She is desperate however to keep up this image she has of herself of being 'nice' and 'caring' and and 'wonderful person' that she takes passive aggressiveness to a higher plain atogether. She is so petulant and rude, I wouldn't let my young daughters get away with her type of behaviour.

As an example, if I'm in mid conversation with a colleague, she will walk in and stand in between us and stare in silence, until you make eye contact or engage her in conversation, at which point she then takes over and talks about what she wants to talk about. Alternatively, if she has paperwork which needs discussing, she will walk in and hover the paperwork in front of your face, in silence, until you engage her. We learned a long time ago to ignore her, but she persists, and will stand for minutes on end in silence, staring.

fking hell now that I'm starting to think about it, I only scratching the surface ! I could write a book.

She a total utter fking .

anonymous-user

84 months

Sunday 29th January 2017
quotequote all
bunglesprout said:
This 100 fking percent. I have the bad luck to have a part time 'admin type' in my place, who is this to a tee. As she is (mercifully) only in two days a week, she thinks that everyone should jump to her command to allow her to get her work done as a priority as she is only in for a limited time. She is desperate however to keep up this image she has of herself of being 'nice' and 'caring' and and 'wonderful person' that she takes passive aggressiveness to a higher plain atogether. She is so petulant and rude, I wouldn't let my young daughters get away with her type of behaviour.

As an example, if I'm in mid conversation with a colleague, she will walk in and stand in between us and stare in silence, until you make eye contact or engage her in conversation, at which point she then takes over and talks about what she wants to talk about. Alternatively, if she has paperwork which needs discussing, she will walk in and hover the paperwork in front of your face, in silence, until you engage her. We learned a long time ago to ignore her, but she persists, and will stand for minutes on end in silence, staring.

fking hell now that I'm starting to think about it, I only scratching the surface ! I could write a book.

She a total utter fking .
You don't work in Tidworth, Wiltshire do you? If not, the similarities to my office are uncanny!!!

anonymous-user

84 months

Sunday 29th January 2017
quotequote all
bunglesprout said:
This 100 fking percent. I have the bad luck to have a part time 'admin type' in my place, who is this to a tee. As she is (mercifully) only in two days a week, she thinks that everyone should jump to her command to allow her to get her work done as a priority as she is only in for a limited time. She is desperate however to keep up this image she has of herself of being 'nice' and 'caring' and and 'wonderful person' that she takes passive aggressiveness to a higher plain atogether. She is so petulant and rude, I wouldn't let my young daughters get away with her type of behaviour.

As an example, if I'm in mid conversation with a colleague, she will walk in and stand in between us and stare in silence, until you make eye contact or engage her in conversation, at which point she then takes over and talks about what she wants to talk about. Alternatively, if she has paperwork which needs discussing, she will walk in and hover the paperwork in front of your face, in silence, until you engage her. We learned a long time ago to ignore her, but she persists, and will stand for minutes on end in silence, staring.

fking hell now that I'm starting to think about it, I only scratching the surface ! I could write a book.

She a total utter fking .
The only people who work 2 days a week in an office are cleaners. Get rid of her. Will only cause ftiction between others.

buggalugs

9,292 posts

267 months

Sunday 29th January 2017
quotequote all
Passive aggressive protest might be chaining yourself to railings or sitting down in the road

You're causing trouble but not being directly aggressive, so you're forcing the other party into making an aggressive act and being seen as the bad guy.

Verbally it's often being quite subtle and making implications, saying something without saying it kind of thing. So you're making your statement without really giving the other party anything to argue against.

You feel like going wait, so you're actually saying XYZ? And they go oh no no of course not. But they fking are, and the way they've done it denies you a clear response.