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Conflict Behaviors
Passive Aggression
Expressing negative feelings indirectly rather than openly, through behaviors like sarcasm, silent treatment, or sabotage.
Severity
✅Healthy end
Expressing feelings directly and respectfully, even when it's uncomfortable.
❌Unhealthy end
Using indirect hostility to punish or control while maintaining plausible deniability.
Examples
'Fine.' (when clearly not fine)
Intentionally 'forgetting' to do something important
Sarcastic comments disguised as jokes
Giving backhanded compliments
Common Signs
Says one thing but means another
Uses sarcasm to express anger
Deliberately 'forgets' commitments
Gives backhanded compliments
Denies being upset when confronted
Often Confused With
SarcasmHaving a bad day
Educational Note
Passive aggression often stems from an inability to express anger or frustration directly. While common, chronic passive aggression undermines trust and makes conflict resolution nearly impossible.
What You Can Do
- 1Ask for direct communication
- 2Address the underlying issue, not just the behavior
- 3Model open and honest expression
- 4Notice if this is a consistent pattern