Can Assertiveness Bring You Happiness?
Recently I have seen a post on social media about Jacinda Ardern. The Prime Minister of New Zealand was once criticized to be lack of assertiveness. The post attracted heated debates on the topic.Even a leader like Ardern, being assertive is a challenging topic.
Assertiveness is seen to be one of the most important interpersonal skills; yet, being assertive has often been interpreted as aggression.
So, what is assertiveness?
Assertiveness is the ability to express one’s point of views or feelings, communicate with confidence while respecting other people’s opinions.
Many times in the past when I had many debates with my husband, I felt very stressful because I was not assertive enough. So did I at work or meetings with my colleagues. It seemed that I was unable to make my views clear to other people.
No one seemed to understand or accept my opinions. I thought I had no choice but to act either aggressively (fight with others to be right), or passively (say yes to everything to avoid conflicts).
My aggression and passiveness turned the discussions into disasters. My interpersonal relationships broke down. I felt stressed, frustrated, and very angry.
