Passive-aggressive behavior

From ArticleWorld

Passive-aggressive behaviour was first introduced in 1945 to describe the passivity and reluctance of soldiers to obey commands and carry out their duties in a timely, efficient manner and whose attitude was one of surliness and hostility to those in command. It had, however, been described in literature before that as people who were surly, who acted as if they were perpetually wounded and people who took everything hard.

There is some argument as to whether it is a disorder as such or a behaviour, and perhaps a rational one at times. It has come to describe someone who avoids confrontation but does everything possible to passively sabotage the efforts of others by non-compliance or procrastination. One example would be someone who took so long to get ready to go to a party they didn’t want to go to in the first place, that by the time they got there, the party would almost be over.

Personality disorder

This kind of behaviour can only be diagnosed as a personality disorder if it becomes habitual and pervasive and therefore crippling and dysfunctional. In addition, it must be proven that it does not only occur when the individual is suffering from another disorder such as depression or dysthymia.

Cause and effect

The root of the problem seems to lie in the individual’s feeling of self worth. They may feel they are misunderstood or unappreciated and though they may feel self-sufficient, they feel manipulated by others who can control them. To be under the control of another such as a spouse or employer is intolerable and so they resent and oppose demands. In interpersonal relationships, it is they who manipulate significant others who are constantly on edge, waiting for the next outburst.