What do people mean when they say someone is passive agressive?

Answer 1

Passive-agression is NOT anything to do with bi-polar or any other mental illness. It is a way of dealing with conflict.

An agressive person will deal with conflict head on - get into an argument, or be forceful about their opinions or needs. A passive person will avoid conflict by putting the opinion or needs of others above their own.

A passive-agressive person will give the appearance of putting another's needs/opinions first, but will actually be behaving so that they get their own way. It's agressive behaviour hidden behind a veneer of passivity. Their behaviour is usually quite manipulative, and difficult to deal with. Some of the classic passive-agressive behaviours are:

avoiding responsibility, claiming forgetfulness, chronic lateness and forgetfulness, making excuses and lying , being obstructive, sarcasm, being sullen.

so - *forgetting* to pick up your suit from the cleaners, rather than coming out and saying you they don't want to; saying 'yes we'll go to watch the film you want' and then turning up just a wee bit too late (but in time to catch the film they want to see); moping around, but saying 'nothing's wrong' when you ask.

all examples of passive-agressive behaviour.

Answer 2

Passive means that you're shy and that you're usually a pushover, and that you don't make much of an argument when someone tells you what to do.
Agressive is the complete opposite. You tend to use violence to show your point.
Passive-aggressive can be shown when you are showing resentment, stubbornness, procrastination, sullenness, or intentional failure at doing requested tasks. For example, people who are passive-aggressive might take so long to get ready for a party they do not wish to attend that the party is nearly over by the time they arrive

Answer 3

hi.

passive // aggressive is a term to denote a wide classification of behaviours which combines non-active and active thought/feeling/participations.

passive // aggressive is not necessarily a wrong code or dirty phrase for to consider by the impressional faculties ones and others own experience is a normal human practice.

but...passive // aggressive activities generally like to remain unknown so to preserve the passive side of their beings/activities.

so it is a curiousity that passives will act in a manner to achieve a desired end to preserve their own life and interests by quiet effective and usually planned activities/behaviours.

passive//aggressives can be either very helpfull or very dangerous because they can effect realization and change without ever having to accept responsibility for their own realizations and contributions.

but remember.....the term passive aggressive is not a criminal term. it is moreso an actual form of behavior and relationship for most humans.

very interesting people some of them though.

be well

Answer 4

Passive Agressive is debatably the hardest "group" of people to deal with.

There tends to be four "groups" of people - Passive, Assertive, Aggressive, and Passive-Agressive.

Passive suggests that you would put your own thoughts and ideas aside to accept the leader or the more dominant persons' opinions.
"Of course we can do what you want to do, forget about everything I said"

Assertive suggests that they are pretty much well balanced. They listen to others thoughts and opinions, and still voice their own and hold their own ground.
"Well, I understand that and think it's a good idea, but what about...?"

Aggressive suggests that they would automatically rule out others ideas in favour of their own:
"That's stupid. What about my idea?"

Passive-Aggressive is somebody who would subtly "dig" at a person. Such as:
"Yes, your idea is good, lets do yours", while thinking "Haha, it'll all fall down & be their fault as it was their idea"

Answer 5

It's when people cause difficulties by doing nothing. For example in the workplace they will agree to take on a task and then sabotage things by not doing it and saying nothing. This means that you have no way of arguing the point with them because they don't say no. The task doesn't get done because you don't know they won't be doing and therefore can't make arrangements for someone else to do it.

Answer 6

Haven't seen quite the right answer yet. Passive-aggressive is someone who acts out his aggression indirectly. You mother tells you to clean the room, so you do a crappy job. This denies her what she wants (which pleases you), while you're not in actual defiance of her.

Answer 7

The way I think of it is the way someone tries to tell you what they want, but in a way that makes them seem self-pitying, cowardly and sort of pathetic. My mom is like this. She knows that I have issues with her because she has never apologized for any of the horrible things she has done to me, but when she talks to me she'll put a disclaimer up front like "Now I know you hate me, but I was just wondering if..." and it is all very pathetic.

Answer 8

these are the most difficult people to deal with.

They won't argue , and seem to just accept whever the outwardly "stronger" personalities in the group decide. But they will quietly achive their own desired outcomes. These people are very difficult to confront because they just agree with whatever is said.

Answer 9

It means that you are aggressive (inside) but don't show it. You just stare at them (passive). Thus 'passive aggressive.'

Answer 10

Bipolar