Sometimes people will go out of their way to bait you into an argument simply so they can feel superior. Don’t allow them to manipulate your emotions and control your reactions. ~ Springwolf

Passive Aggression

Being passive aggressive is a method of showing aggression in an indirect manner. Such as making negative comments in a general manner that is not specifically directed at someone, but is intended to put down or denounce what a specific person said. In other words, it a cowardly way of insulting someone and baiting them into an argument without doing so face to face.

This happened to me recently. In responding to a question on an IMM Ministers forum, I made mention of living in balance by implementing your spiritual beliefs upon your physical path. Walking Your Talk© so to speak. It’s not enough to believe you are spiritual if you don’t apply those beliefs in your every day life and respond to others accordingly. Another member responded to the same question and for some reason felt the need to say “it has nothing to do with balance” and continued to make his point which seemingly had nothing to do with what I had said.

So why add that statement to his response? Why put in a comment that was seemingly directed at my reply, since I was the only one who had, up to that moment, made a comment about balance? To me it had the purpose to bait me into a confrontation or to denounce my view because he doesn’t agree with anything I say on this forum. Being one of the very few, if not the only pagan minister on this forum, there are a few members who consistently attack my comments and perspectives. Not that this is unusual or uncommon in general. If you’re going to put your Pagan hat on and wear it in public, you’re going to get negative comments from time to time. I’m used to this. But it is disheartening to know that this kind of immediate bigotry toward  pagan perspectives can occur on a forum that’s designed for spiritual ministers and specifically fellow ministers in the same organization. To me, it’s a bit hypocritical. Continue reading →