Passive aggressive behavior is one of the most common personality types. It can also be called passive aggressive because the person who displays this doesn't want to take the responsibility of acting in a certain way. They are able to evade responsibility. This type of personality is characterized by complaining incessantly, acting without thinking, acting without following up, acting without feeling, acting without taking feedback, complaining too much, blaming others for problems, and blaming others for failures. They don't feel they have to earn anything from anyone. They feel entitled.
Their relationships are dependent on the other person. If they can't get their way, they will seek revenge. To protect themselves, they will put down the other person and use anger and their resentment as a weapon. In order to get what they want, passive aggressive people will compromise principles. They will do what they have to in order to be successful.
It is easy to see why this type of aggressive behavior is so damaging to relationships. They are denying the other person a space to learn and grow. They are denying the other person access to the things that they really want. Passive aggressive people use aggression to control and manipulate relationships instead of providing for them.
There are several different ways to deal with passive aggressive behavior. The first is to ignore them completely. You should not give them any attention, respond to their attempts to control you, or interact with them. They will feel that they have won if they are ignored, but the truth is, they are the one who controls the relationship and they should use that power for their own benefit. While ignoring passive aggressive people may seem like an impossible task, it is actually quite easy if you know how.
There are several passive aggressive people who are successful at their goal to control others through aggression. These are people who have achieved the status of "alpha male." This means that they assume the position of being the leader in the interaction instead of waiting for others to come to them. This attitude allows them to assert their will over the situation and get what they want without having to wait for anyone else to do it for them. Some of these alpha males can even put up a show of aggression without being aware of what they are doing.
It takes patience to deal with a passive aggressive person because they often do not realize that they are being controlling. The best way to handle them is to make sure you can establish yourself as the leader in the interaction from the beginning. Assert your rights as the leader of the interaction and be firm in your position. Be assertive but be careful not to use threatening behavior.
If they are unable to follow your directions or are constantly being rude, ignore them until they become unruly. This will drive them further away from you and make them think twice about their behavior. If that does not work, simply ignore them. Do not give them any attention at all. This will force them into a state of submission, which is much more likely to help them get control of the situation and stop being passive aggressive.
If you find that you have a lot of passive-aggressive people in your company, be sure to observe them and figure out what causes them to be so aggressive. Find ways to deal with them in a more constructive way than by trying to ignore them. This will make them more uncomfortable and make them act even more aggressively. Remember that you need to be assertive in order to get the results that you want. By ignoring passive aggressive behaviors you may be setting yourself up for more problems.