December 13, 2016
Interview with Tim Murphy PhD, author of the book Overcoming Passive Aggression
Mike Carruthers: You probably know someone who is passive aggressive and you may have engaged in some passive aggressive behavior yourself.
Tim Murphy PhD: Passive aggressive behavior is being harmful or aggressive or mean to someone usually by not doing things – not returning a call, doing things late.
Psychologist Tim Murphy PhD  who is also a U.S.Congressman from Pennsylvania and author of the book Overcoming Passive Aggression…
Especially in the social media world where we’re not even used to talking on the phone or face-to-face with someone. We send them a text message, we send them a tweet but none of that is a good adaptive over time.
Sometimes a little passive aggressive behavior feels good. If someone made you wait 5 days for a phone call it might make you feel good to make them wait 5 days.
I guess it comes down to here; the issue of doing it to others and is that what you really want them to do to you? You can let them set the standard of being irrational and nasty and delaying or you can try and raise the standard.
Being direct with people in uncomfortable situations is difficult and fearful. But not being direct, being passive aggressive causes all kinds of problems.
Passive aggression is so toxic and so pervasive and so growing that people are finding its conflicting in their relationships with friends, in their work, and they don’t know what to do.
