Someone who is mean, but not outwardly. They do their mean deeds quietly. For example…. a co-worker who acts sweet and innocent all the time. They complain that someone is treating them badly…but instead of confronting the evil doer, they do things like glue their phone to the desk, tape their computer keyboard. Also, this type of person makes menacing remarks disguised as normal conversation. “I love that dress. Does it come in your size?”

“Passive aggressive” is a reference to someone who will not plainly say that they have a problem with somebody, but their actions speak louder than their words. Say I tell you that I’m going to pick your brother up at the airport and then forget, you are left wondering if I am spacy or really don’t like your brother.

Indeed passive aggressive action is usually NON action – what you DON’T do.

With some, it is pure hateful manipulation, with others it is unconcious.

And of course some people accused of passive aggression are simply clueless.

The term passive-aggressive is used to describe someone who exhibits manipulative behavior within their personality. On the surface, the traits may appear as stubbornness or a polite unwillingness to agree with a situation. The end result is that the person is manipulating you to turn to their way of thinking.

Passive-aggressive tendencies are likely to exhibit themselves in work situations. The passive-aggressive employee or employer may use these techniques as a form of intimidation. The worker will sulk when given jobs to do or may simply take an undue amount of time to do them. By doing so, he or she is showing displeasure by using passive-aggressive behavior.

In work situations, the passive-aggressive employee hopes that by exhibiting this behavior, he or she will not be asked to do these tasks again. The employee hopes that this behaviour will be too off-putting for the person dishing out the duties. Employers are also famous for using this behaviour when confronted with employee problems.

A subtle form of manipulation. The person acts needy and seeks the help of others to do things for them, acting as though they don’t know how to do it themselves. They get you do their work.. The person seems gullible, acts polite. Yet, they are actually quite capable of doing their own work. Some people, in my opinion, aren’t aware of their behavior. It takes time for others to realize that the person is passive-aggressive. Other times, it is quite obvious in being aware that a person has this personality trait. Just my opinion and observation .

it is when someone wants you do do what they want or think is the right thing and you say ya ok, but do the opposite or do nothing at all. People are sometimes passive aggressive to keep from having any confrontation. Maybe you can just say thank you I will try to do that in the future, or say no thanks, thats just not me.

Here is a fine example. You ask a person to do something and they really don’t want to do it but instead of saying: “No, I can’t / won’t do that.” They do things like this: Make snide comments under their breath. Make a heavy sigh. Throw things gently across their desk. Make sarcastic comments.

These people tend to really wind-up direct people because it is as if they are asking to be yelled at. If they would just say: “No” to things they wouldn’t want to do or can’t do, they’d feel much more relaxed.

Another example is when you can’t meet them, they come out with: “Oh, never mind, I only cooked for 4 hours and made such a lovely meal but you go ahead, I’ll be alright.” In their minds nothing EVER bothers them but they don’t realise they are coming across as guilt-tripping brats.

Ha, ha, ha, ha……Just thinking about my past dealings with people like that is getting me a bit heated. Yea, they’re annoying.

I am direct and extremely logical and this is the anti-thesis to the passive-aggressive person. They can’t stand it when I look them straight in the eye and say: “No” with no explanation to follow. They see that as rude because after all, we’re supposed to be “nice” aren’t we?

Say what you mean and mean what you say.

Mary Redshirt: HA! Forgot about that one. My ex “best friend” used to do that and it would drive me bonkers. She isn’t in my life anymore.

Passive-aggressive behavior refers to passive, sometimes obstructionist resistance to following authoritative instructions in interpersonal or occupational situations. It can manifest itself as resentment, stubbornness, procrastination, sullenness, or repeated failure to accomplish requested tasks for which one is assumed, often explicitly, to be responsible. It is a defensive mechanism and, more often than not, only partly conscious. For example, people who are passive-aggressive might take so long to get ready for a party they do not wish to attend, that the party is nearly over by the time they arrive. Alternatively, leaving notes to avoid face-to-face discussion/confrontation, is another form of passive-aggressive behavior.

passive aggressive is laymen terms resentment stubbornness procrastination. its not an conscious action that you do when you dont want to do something. you feeling angry or sad but you cant say you are for some reason

That’s the worst!!! It’s a practice in doing and saying subtle things that are absolutely hateful, all the while pinning the blame on the recipient of the mindgames. A tiny example: Some mutters something unintelligible to you, and you say “Excuse me, what did you say?” THey shake their head in irritation to make it seem that you are an idiot that you cannot read their thoughts, and say “Oh, never mind!”

An example of this is a guy who sits in a movie theater and is angry because the person in font of them is wearing a tall hat.

Instead of being upfront and requesting they remove their hat they decide to kick the back of the persons seat throughout the movie.

It is destructive in that you never get what you want and is based on being a poor communicator.