Under their different faces, passive-aggressive people are difficult to pin down.
Discover who they are, how they behave, and the paths to explore to get out of the deadlock.
All of us, at one time or another, have adopted a behavior that can be described as "passive-aggressive": through our silence, indifference, or distancing, we have ignored the other's need to be in a relationship. But too often, the terms passive-aggressive are used as a diagnosis or catch-all label, thinking it explains the relational difficulties encountered. Incorrectly. Because behind passive-aggressive behaviors, there are often more complex issues. Is it a fear of conflict, a symptom of depression, an overwhelming need not to displease at the risk of disappearing, a confinement in schizoid tendencies...? In any case, the impression of detachment, even indifference, or silent resistance, emanating from the person labeled passive-aggressive can be unbearable for those close to them.
Throughout the chapters, the text takes shape through various problem situations in which the notion of passive-aggressiveness is often invoked. Thanks to these examples and testimonies, the reader realizes that these behaviors reflect very different dysfunctions ranging from simple, fairly benign defensive withdrawals to truly perverse actions.
The book ends with an overview of the factors that cause stagnation in an unsatisfactory relationship.
This new understanding helps, in the face of relational problems, to restore to each participant their share of responsibility and to find a way out.
