DOI: 10.18503/2658-3186-2021-5-4-39-42
Abstract. Assertiveness is an asset within the realm of social skills [2] that requires both authentic expression and empathy so as to ensure what is said is representative of one’s needs and feelings while also being respectful to other people’s repertoire. Once one engages unassertive behavior, they keep themselves from aggressiveness and passiveness in their discourse and convey the message they need in way that proves appropriate to both parties in a given conversation. The awareness required in social interaction in order to practice assertive communication demands a move from passion to compassion in everyday talk, as there may be several triggers in a given situation that challenge our ability to hold an authentic conversation(mostly) free from clash, judgement and suppression of one’s basic needs. The very possibility of assertive communication in potentially violent interactions may seem inconceivable to those who come from a background that lacked emotional or social support. However, if properly taught and practiced, assertiveness immediately becomes a key resource for social settings where individuals have to deal with power relations and conflict of interests while potentially exposing or being exposed to violence of any kind, ranging from small everyday disagreements to civil war. Social practices around assertiveness will flourish to the extent that we as individuals and as a society become aware of own needs and other people’s and deal with them accordingly.
Keywords: assertiveness; non-violent communication; social skills, empathy, passive behavior, aggressive behavior, communication, compassion.
Author
Igor Gadioli, Assistant Professor, Professor of Modern Languages at the Federal University of Sergipe, Seragipe, Brazil, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
References
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For citation
Gadioli I. Assertive Communication: Mean What You Say, Say What You Mean, Gumanitarno-pedagogicheskie issledovaniya [Humanitarian and pedagogical Research], 2021, vol. 5, no. 4, pp. 39–42.