There are various ideas about communication styles. Some will assume that there are more of them, others that there are less. Today we will present this most popular concept, which has a characteristic value: is very practical. Communication style is how we express our emotions, needs, expectations, and how we express our thoughts. According to the concept we will focus on today, there are four communication styles. You are about to learn amazing things. At the end of this fascinating reading, you will take the communication style quiz, which is a great tool to check what kind of style prevails in you.
4 styles of communication
Aggressive
People with an aggressive style express their needs and opinions without regard to the feelings of others. It is impossible not to recognize such a person because they use techniques of domination, intimidation, threats, and other aggressive elements. People with this style largely curse, blame, criticize, are rude, interrupt in the middle of a sentence, and are generally selfish. Interestingly, people with this communication style are often unaware that their behavior is toxic. As in many personality disorders, such as sociopathy, this style is formed as early as childhood. Such a person often struggles with low self-esteem. Childhood experiences are transformed into aggression, under which fear lurks. Such a person had to learn to transform fear into anger from an early age, which incidentally enabled him or her to survive.
Related quizzes in this style: am I selfish? - am I toxic?Passive
People with a passive style don't allow themselves to express their own needs and opinions. After some time, feelings of hurt and grief build up, and the person erupts inappropriately. After such an outburst, the person feels guilty and ashamed of his or her behavior and returns to the previous passive phase. A passive person will agree to any condition, cannot negotiate or win something for himself/herself, does many things for others without asking for anything in return. Unless the measure is overflowing, he explodes suddenly and seemingly without reason and apologizes endlessly and without restraint. Her or his body language is one of surrender, and he/she may be hunched over with downcast eyes, his/her voice weak and apologetic.
Passive style is paid for by overload of responsibilities and stress, depression, anxiety, a sense of lack of control over one's own life, and inability to cope. A person may feel like they don't know who they are because they constantly ignore their own emotions and needs. Growth is hindered because the person holds an underlying grudge against the world at large and believes they can't change anything anyway.
Passive-Aggressive
People with this style outwardly appear amicable and gentle. In reality, they are constantly sabotaging and manipulating. We commonly call them two-faced. They will smile at you while simultaneously digging a hole under you. They can't see their anger, and they never get into open conflict. They operate behind the scenes in a gray area. These people are usually full of grief and a sense of powerlessness, but they don't realize it. They may openly say and believe that they are conflict-free and like all people. They will mumble to themselves when they are unhappy, make insults, and smile even though you can see their anger. They won't admit to resentment. They'll say that someone else thinks this behavior is unacceptable. They will agree to something and then sabotage the task. This style often arises in a violent environment or where the person has been punished for expressing their own opinion. Because their own experiences and needs do not disappear, they have to express themselves indirectly.
Such people become lonely, they convince themselves of their absolute powerlessness, and it is difficult for them to change. They tell themselves that everything is fine and they do not see their problems.
Assertive
A healthy, direct style in which we say what we want in a way that does not violate the rights of others. An assertive person can politely say no, say they don't like something, give criticism in a non-hurtful way. Takes care of his/her needs, requirements, and emotions. He/she can ask for and accept refusal. We can't always be assertive, and we need to remember that. If we have been working for a short time, the boss asks us to do something. We should not necessarily refuse. There are other factors to consider. Also, learning the right tone, body language is imperative. Often people think they are assertive, but in fact, they are aggressive. A different level of assertiveness is allowed in women, another in men. The same assertive behavior in a man will be considered normal, and in a woman, it will be considered aggressive. Therefore, it isn't easy to learn assertiveness from a book and an American one at that. It requires direct contact and tuning the behavior to the specific situation.
Communication Style Quiz - How to Play?
With our highly specialized test, through a few answers to questions, we will be able to determine which communication style predominates in you. A communication style quiz is a unique and highly accurate test of your personality. All you have to do is answer a few simple questions, and at the end, you will find out what style reflects your personality.
