You Can Be Assertive Without Being a Total Jerk
Effective strategies to earn the respect you deserve
Sometimes it feels like there’s no difference between being nice and being a pushover.
And there are definitely times in your life when you don’t want to be a pushover. We live in an imperfect world, and sometimes you’re treated unfairly. Stores or companies might overcharge or otherwise take advantage of you. Sometimes you might get passed over for work promotions or kudos that you’ve clearly earned. Sometimes you or a loved one needs a bit more help or support from medical practitioners or teachers or any number of other professionals than you’re getting.
In such cases, we have the right to stand up for ourselves and others. But is it possible to advocate for ourselves effectively, without becoming big jerks?
It absolutely is. And here’s how.
Be nice
There’s a famous line in the 1989 movie “Roadhouse,” where the character played by Patrick Swayze is a bouncer tasked with bringing better security to a roadhouse bar. His recommendation, to the other security workers? “Be nice.”
Sometimes, by the time something has happened that you feel you need to address — you feel you’ve been taken advantage of by a store or vendor…
