Not everyone who is passive knows the effects of their passivity.

Passivity isn’t a meekness. It’s not humility. Passivity is the sense of not speaking up. It elevates simple refusal to notice. It chooses to not take a direct route in an appropriate way. Passivity avoids authentic face to face conversation, or perhaps another person altogether, when what’s needed is appropriate, responsible confrontation and problem solving. Passivity doesn’t always avoid altogether; sometimes it tightly bottles the issues until an explosion spews.

To those around the passive person, it feels dismissive. The lack of trustworthy and meaningful connection is draining. Even when passivity is pervasive and consistent, it feels uncertain, because reality seems distorted around the passive person. No one can open the person’s eyes. No one can spur them into action. Only the person can decide to open their minds, accurately evaluate self and the situation, and potentially take action.

Responsible action has an impact that ripples, not just outward but inward. So does passivity.