How To Spot A Passive-Aggressive Person Even If They’re Hiding It

Knowing how to spot the signs of passive aggression is key to better relationship.

Photo by Brooke Cagle on Unsplash

According to a recent survey by OnePoll:

• Seven in 10 people in America are facing higher levels of passive-aggressive behaviors in the workplace.
• Nearly two-thirds witness passive-aggressive behaviors in their workplace at least once a week.
• Close to half (47%) said these behaviors are most likely to occur face-to-face. And 41% said it’s also likely to occur either through email or online messaging channels.

We all communicate and interact with others in different ways and one of the most problematic is the passive-aggressive style.

This is a style of interactions in which someone expresses their negative feelings indirectly, often through actions or subtle comments that mask hostility or frustration. It’s a mix of being passive in not addressing issues directly and being aggressive in the way those feelings are expressed.

I once worked on a group project with a colleague who exhibited passive-aggressive behavior. During team discussions, whenever a decision was made that he disagreed with, he would nod and say “Sure, whatever you guys think is…