With all due respect to these studies, it’s safe to say that PA (Passive Aggresive –gian) behavior is problematic and annoying. But whether it deserves to be defined as a bona fide mental illness — and subsequent stigmatization in society at large — seems debatable. Calls to restore its place as a formal pathology are indicative of the struggles of psychiatry to justify its (often qualitative, normative) definitions of mental illness. It’s important to draw a line between pathologizing PA behavior and figuring out how to deal with difficult individuals in one’s life. What’s more, it risks pathologizing compliant defiance in the face of authority, whether it be work-to-rule actions, the Occupy Movement, or (sadly) a potentially abusive home or work environment.
via The Secrets To Handling Passive-Aggressive People.
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