Assertive behavior

As mentioned above, assertive behavior at its core is simply communicating effectively,

standing for what we believe and take action in order to convey our ideas and opinions.

Assertive behaviors include:

Expressing one’s own needs clearly

Being able to listen carefully to other people

Telling someone something they didn’t want to hear

Standing up for oneself

Taking responsibility for mistakes

Respecting another person’s point of view

Communicating honestly

Having empathy for others

Giving feedback constructively

Making decisions based on facts rather than emotions

Not taking anything personally

To expand a little bit on this, when we talk about assertive behaviors there are top 11
behaviors that you can posses or work on:

Assertiveness vs Aggression: Assertiveness isn’t aggression; they both come from different
perspectives. However, one should never use aggressive behavior towards someone else just
because he/she has expressed their opinions. If you want to disagree with them, you must first
listen to their point of view and understand their perspective. Then only you can decide
whether you agree or disagree with them.

Be Confident: Confidence comes naturally once you’ve practiced enough. The best part is
that you won’t need any external factors such as friends, family members, teachers etc. to
boost your confidence level. All you need is time and patience.

Speak Up: Speak up whenever you see something wrong or unfair happening around you.
Don’t let anyone bully you into silence. Stand up for yourself by telling other people what
you think.

Express Yourself: Expressing yourself is very important especially during difficult situations.
When you’re angry, frustrated or sad, you shouldn’t hold back your emotions. Instead, tell
those close to you exactly how you feel.
Practice Makes Perfect: Practice makes perfect. So make sure you put effort into improving
your skills. As mentioned earlier, confidence comes naturally after lots of practice.

Have Patience: Patience is another key factor in becoming assertive. Sometimes, you might
find yourself getting upset over small issues which could easily be resolved later. Just take
deep breaths and wait patiently until everything settles down again.

Learn From Mistakes: Mistakes happen everywhere. No matter how much experience you
gain, mistakes still occur. This is normal. Learning from these mistakes helps us improve
ourselves.

Take Responsibility: Taking responsibility is essential in life. We learn from our own
mistakes and failures. By taking full responsibility for our actions, we become stronger
individuals.

Never Give In To Fear Of Rejection: Fear of rejection is an obstacle many people face when
trying to speak up. But don’t worry about it. People who are afraid of rejection usually have
low self -esteem. They tend to avoid confrontation and shy away from making decisions.

Keep Your Cool: When dealing with stressful situations, always remain calm. Try not to lose
control. You may end up saying things you regret later on.

Respect Others’ Opinions: Respecting others’ opinions means listening carefully to what they
say without interrupting them. It also involves respecting their right to express themselves
freely.

Assertive Personalities and Characteristics

When we take a look at assertive personalities, you’ll find that there are different
personalities and you would not be 100% one of them, but a combination of multiple
assertive personalities.

I could list even more assertive personalities, but here are most common ones:

The Confident Person – This kind of person has strong beliefs and opinions which he/she
expresses clearly. He/She does not hesitate to voice them out loud. They are comfortable
sharing their ideas and they won’t back down from any challenge.

The Persistent Person – If someone tries to discourage him/her, he/she would just ignore
such comments and continue doing whatever he/she wants. Such persons always try to
achieve something despite all odds.

The Independent Person – She/He knows her/his own strengths and weaknesses well
enough so she/he wouldn’t need anyone else’s help. Even if other people give advice, she/he
still makes decisions by herself.

The Open Minded Person – He/She listens carefully before making judgments. He/She
accepts new information and changes easily.
The Emotional Support Person – He/She cares deeply about those around him/her. He/She
feels responsible towards everyone, especially family members.

The Optimistic Person – He/She sees good possibilities in everything. He/She looks forward
to future events instead of dwelling over past mistakes.

The Passionate Person – He/She loves life passionately and enjoys every moment. He/She
takes interest in many different activities.

The Creative Person – He/She likes to create things and make things happen. He/She finds
pleasure in solving problems and finding solutions.

The Organized Person – He/She keeps track of time and schedules accordingly. He/She plans
ahead and prepares thoroughly.

The Hardworking Person – He/She works diligently and puts forth maximum effort. He/She
doesn’t procrastinate and gets things done quickly.

The Responsible Person – He/She follows rules and regulations set by authority figures.
He/She respects elders and obeys laws.

The Energetic Person – He/She moves fast and acts spontaneously. He/She is full of energy
and enthusiasm.

The Enthusiastic Person – He/She shows excitement when faced with challenges. He/She is
enthusiastic about learning new things.

The Ambitious Person – He/She strives hard to reach goals that seem impossible. He/She sets
high standards for self improvement.

The Determined Person – He/She refuses to accept defeat or failure. He/She continues trying
until success comes knocking on the door.

The Patient Person – He/She patiently waits for results even though it seems like nothing
happens. He/She has a positive attitude and remains optimistic throughout difficult times.

The Generous Person – He/She gives generously and freely. He/She shares his/her
possessions with others.

The Intelligent Person – He/She uses logic and reason to solve problems. He/She can think
through situations logically and analytically.

The Honest Person – He/She tells the truth regardless of consequences. He/She does not lie or
cheat.

The Trustworthy Person – He/She always keeps promises made to other people. He/She
believes in honesty and integrity.

The Lively Person – He/She laughs easily and often. He/She enjoys life and takes pleasure in
simple pleasures.
The Creative Person – He/She creates something out of nothing. He/She finds ways to make
money using creativity.

The Hardworking Person – He/She works long hours every day. He/She stays late into the
night working on projects.

The Ambitious Person – He/She strives to be successful. He/She sets goals that seem
impossible but eventually become possible.

The Attentive Person – He/She pays attention to details. He/She notices little things that most
people overlook.

The Brave Person – He/She faces challenges ead on without fear. He/She doesn’t back down
from a fight.

The Loyal Friend – He/She sticks by you during tough times. He/She will do anything to
protect your interests.

Characteristics of Assertive Person

As you can see there are different assertive personalities and it can vary from one individual
to another.

However, they possess certain characteristics which make them unique. Some of them
include:

Self Confidence – Assertive persons usually have high levels of self-esteem which makes
them comfortable enough to talk their minds. They tend to take charge of situations rather
than letting other people control them. This gives them the courage to make decisions and act
accordingly.

Openness – Being open minded is another characteristic of assertive personalities. These

individuals are willing to listen to different opinions from both sides before making any
decision. They understand that everyone has something valuable to contribute. Therefore they
try to avoid judging anyone based on appearance alone. Instead, they look deeper into
someone’s character.

Empathy – Another trait of assertive personalities is empathy. They care deeply about those
around them and want to help whenever possible. They realize that every individual deserves
equal treatment regardless of race, religion, gender, etc. As such, these types of people
always put themselves in other people’s shoes so that they could relate to them better.

Honesty – An assertive personality knows that honesty is one of the most powerful tools
available to us. He/she believes that telling the truth is never wrong. If he/she feels
uncomfortable sharing certain information, s/he would prefer to remain silent instead of
lying. However, sometimes lies are necessary especially when dealing with sensitive issues.
For example, an assertive person might lie to protect someone else’s reputation even though
she/he does not agree with the behavior.
Persistence – A persistent personality tends to stick to her/his beliefs despite opposition.
She/He understands that change takes time and effort. She/he tries to stay positive by
focusing on solutions rather than problems. Thus, she/he keeps trying until success comes
knocking.

Optimism – The optimistic personality sees life as a series of challenges and opportunities.
Rather than dwelling on negative feelings, this type of person focuses on finding ways to
improve his/her situation. In addition, s/he looks forward to new adventures because there’s
no place like home.

Responsibility – An assertive personality realizes that taking responsibility is essential to

living successfully. Even if others do things for him/her, she/he still needs to be responsible
for his/her actions. It doesn’t matter how much support he/she receives; s/he will continue
doing what s/he thinks is right.

Independence – Finally, an independent personality recognizes that it is important to stand up

for herself/himself. She/he refuses to let others dictate who she/he should become. She/he
also values personal freedom over anything else.