I know this doesn't reflect positively on me as a psychologist. When I have a client who has problems being assertive, I have all kinds of good suggestions. And they usually take my advice. Which is a perfect example of why I often think my clients are more courageous than I am.
Part of the problem is that I can't stand hurting other people. If it's a choice between being annoyed by them or hurting their feelings, I choose to be annoyed. Because I can take it. But all those annoyances start to add up after awhile. Like being bitten by 1000 mosquitos. And I'm allergic to mosquitos, too. That's why I have to keep reminding myself to pick me.
The other obstacle is the whole hyperempath thing, combined with being highly self-critical. When I think of how I would feel if someone were to tell me that I brag about myself a lot, I would be mortified. I'd probably never speak again.
Sometimes the other person is so sensitive that they, too, will obsess about it for the rest of their lives. We can never have a conversation again where the person doesn't think about it, apologize for it, justify their behavior. It's painful. It feels just as bad as when they were annoying me, except now I feel guilty, too.
That's why I prefer to be so attuned to how other people feel that I can sense their annoyance and figure out why without them having to say a word. Which, admittedly, isn't a great strategy--especially when you're prone to depression. Because afterwards you have replay every social interaction over and over, trying to figure out where you offended the other person.
I can do it when it involves tennis. Especially when it involves wasting someone else's time by being late, not showing up, etc. I may not think my time is valuable, but I won't tolerate someone in my group or on my team who wastes other people's time. But sometimes I still obsess about how I did it. Maybe if I had said it differently, I wouldn't have hurt their feelings.
The reality is, sometimes there's no way you can give negative feedback without hurting the person. And it's not really my job to make sure that no one ever feels pain. Sometimes pain is necessary. It lets us know that we need to change something. And if something's bothering me enough to tell them about it, then I am definitely hoping for change.
Sometimes I wish I could be one of those people who are so oblivious that they don't care that they're annoying. Someone who can dismiss criticism with some rationalization. Or someone with a really bad memory for negative feedback. But I can't. I'm me. Empathic, sensitive, guilt-ridden me.
Perhaps I can think of this as yet another opportunity to practice self-acceptance.
2 comments:
I can surely empathize (hehehe....)
I'm also non-confrontational and would rather avoid than hurt someone's feelings. However, we all have our thresholds. I remember in college, I had a bestfriend. She's older than me but I was far more mature. We were friends for 4 or so yrs but it came to a point when it became too toxic for me. I didn't feel that she was treating me well. She constantly found herself in the middle of the same 'crises' over and over, would ask for my advice, but never listened / never changed her behavior. I got too tired, too consumed, that I had to break off the friendship. I wrote her a letter instead of confronting her. I know that was not the best route, but it was the only way I could do it. We never spoke again and her parents hated me for it.
But I survived and I was at peace with it. It's all self-preservation. So, yes, it's hard to criticise and confront others, but when it needs to be done for our own survival, our own peace of mind, I think we manage to 'show up' and step up. Right? :-)
I have to admit Joy, I would have done the same thing. Write a letter. It's better than doing nothing.
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