But how do you translate this one overall statement about yourself into common language that relates meaningfully to your everyday living. How can you tell when you are being manipulated, when your assertive human right is being violated? One way we all know, unfortunately, is after the fact; when you say to yourself: “I don’t know how it happened, but I’ve got that uncomfortable, queasy feeling that I’ve been had.” This after-the-fact feeling, again unfortunately, is not much help to you for future coping except that we tend to avoid people who are consistently associated with our “being had.” To help you recognize that you are being manipulated when you are being manipulated, this chapter lists the most common ways other people will use to manipulate you and your everyday assertive rights in those situations.ASSERTIVE RIGHT IIYou have the right tooffer no reasonsor excuses tojustify yourbehavior.As with the remaining assertive rights listed in this chapter, the right not to give reasons for what you do is derived from your prime assertive right to be the ultimate judge of all you are and do.
What do You think about When I Say No, I Feel Guilty?
