What are some of the traits of an unassertive person?
Those who are unassertive actually suffer from an excess of empathy. They appreciate the other person’s feelings and desires so much that they feel guilty about giving preference to their own. But while empathy is a highly admirable quality, too much of it, as with anything else, is no good. Unfortunately, some people, rather than admiring this trait in a person, simply look for further ways to exploit it! Another problem of assertiveness is the inability to make reasonable requests of others. Even when making a modest request, the unassertive person may still unconsciously feel that he’s somehow imposing on the other person. This attitude can communicate itself to the other person–and if it does, he may agree with this assumption! There is nothing wrong with giving people aid, bailing them out of a jam or lending them money if you are doing so because you truly want to. There is something wrong, however, if you’re doing these things only because you can’t say no–either because you d
