One
concept from chapter 3 that I thought was interesting was the nonassertive
communication behavior as an option in the other-centered orientation. I
thought it was interesting because from the definition, it is described as “the
ability to avoid a conflict altogether or accommodate to the desires of the
other person through the use of verbal or nonverbal acts”. When I first read
that definition, I immediately thought it was a description for a weak individual
that probably doesn’t know how to stand up for themself or what they believe
in. That kind of conflict orientation is something that I would never want to
be. Although, I started to read further into the subject and the authors
mentioned situations that nonassertive behavior can be applied to, such as
avoiding conflict with your parents, grandparents, or boss. I started to
realize that the nonassertive communication behavior is actually a smart trait
to have. I would never use an aggressive or passive-aggressive behavior with my
father because he is too stubborn and would probably get mad at me, and I would
never use those behaviors when talking to my boss either in fear or losing my
job. It made me realize that nonassertive communication behavior can also be
out of respect for others.
I found your post interesting because you took a positive spin on a typically negative considered quality. However, I agree with you. In my opinion some conflicts are just not worth making a big hustle and bustle over. In a lot of collectivistic cultures, nonassertive communication is used most often especially in the work place. It's like you said, talking with a higher authority in a tone that is assertive or aggressive and questioning their ideals can lead to negative consequences and a lot of people avoid doing so. Which, I don't think is necessarily a bad thing unless it's compromising some type of moral issue. Nice post!
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