How to Maintain a Passive-Aggressive Friendship
- 1). Keep calm when your friend exhibits passive-aggressive behavior. While annoying at best and destructive at worst, getting angry does not help the situation. Since the root of the matter relates to the aggression, you must diffuse any passive-aggressive behavior with a calm and reasoned approach.
- 2). Approach your friend directly when she exhibits passive-aggressive behavior, and begin a dialogue on the issue. Ask your friend what's really bothering her and if you can do anything to help make the situation better. Continue to do this anytime your friend exhibits passive-aggression.
- 3). Talk to your friend directly about the behavior if it continues. Explain how the behavior makes you feel and the detrimental effects it has on the relationship. Clearly explain that you have your friend's best interest at heart but that passive-aggressive behavior makes the friendship hard to maintain.
- 4). Ignore minor passive-aggressive behavior, if possible (i.e., eye rolling and sarcastic comments). Even though these behaviors create tension, your passive-aggressive friend might be trying to get a reaction out of you. Ignoring the behavior stops the manipulation at the outset and provides no reinforcement to the behavior.
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