Most highly sensitive people and almost everyone raised by narcissistic or pathologically immature caregivers,

they genuinely believe that they're being assertive when they are often still very much operating in passivity.

Or from a very benign form of passive aggression that is just insincere and feels icky over time.

I'm going to give you some real life examples through what I hope becomes a series of how passive communication can be reframed into assertive communication.

Understanding this is like Goldilocks and the three bears y'all in their porridge.

Passive is too little.

Aggressive is too much.

Passive aggressive is somehow both too little and too much at the same time.

And assertiveness is just right.

Hello, welcome to the show.

This is Emotional Badass, where Moxie meets Mindful.

I'm your host, Nikki Eisenhower, life coach and psychotherapist.

And on today's episode, we are doing emotional

strength training for highly sensitive people on assertiveness. Make sure you hit those like and

subscribe buttons. Most of our listeners have not. It helps the show out behind the scenes so much.

I'm excited to talk about assertiveness with you today.

There are many reasons that highly sensitive people trend toward passivity. I'm addressing just

one of those reasons today. Being raised in dysfunction will make us passive. When we're raised with unregulated,

dominating, controlling, or neglectful parenting, those are the extremes. This trains a child to

develop strategies that keep the peace. They learn not to rock the boat. They learn to avoid negative attention and shame.

They learn to try to win favor, approval, or even just a flicker of positive attention.

Those of you who have completed the boundaries intensive with me over the years will remember the concept I teach about lighting up.

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