What is a good way to learn to be more assertive?
One aid in learning assertiveness, as with any interactive skill, is through visualization. This technique allows you to come to grips with your feelings. When you give yourself time to think things through, you have less likelihood, and thus less fear, of doing “the wrong thing”–of handling a situation badly. You decide in advance which behaviors are appropriate for which assertiveness-demanding situations. You also imagine the worst things that could happen to you if you are assertive. Chances are, you will discover that they are not so terrible, after all. The next step is imagining how you will handle the various possible responses to your assertive behavior. Finally, choose the most effective responses to what the other person might say, then visualize yourself delivering them. When you give yourself time to think things through (which is essentially what visualization is), things that used to cause you fear will suddenly become more manageable. Just as you need to make a good im
