Mini-course Learn about Human Behavior, Day 2 - Passive Behavior — YouTube from the CEC Library

Today I am going to address passive behavior, an individual emotional structure that does not respond to the environment in an adequate way. The ideal response to the environment should be assertive, not aggressive. In passive behavior, aggressiveness is not expressed outwardly, but remains internalized. This turns the passive person into a victim of themselves: instead of calmly responding to what they think and feel, they repress themselves. Human beings have moved away from the naturalness of their inner demands, growing accustomed to an unhealthy emotional speed. Imagine working in a city full of vehicles and noise; this makes our inner processes turbulent. A decibel meter can show that the noise level is higher than what we can tolerate for a long time.

This situation influences our emotional structure, preventing calm reactions. In the past, people could focus on one activity at a time; today we do several things simultaneously, which is not healthy for our emotional and spiritual structure. The environment becomes unhealthy and out of balance. The passive person avoids reacting out of fear of confrontation. They do not emit reactions and are even afraid of appearing to want to react or to express what they think.

This condition causes great inner bitterness and sadness, leading the person to accumulate emotional charges proportional to what they would have liked to express at the moment of an initial event—such as an objection, an explicit "no," or a frustration. It is essential to work on this characteristic, because the inability to express feelings and thoughts results in the accumulation of emotional energy. When it is finally released, this energy can emerge with intense anger, causing regret, or be internalized, generating physical illnesses.

Often, we create our own illnesses because of the inability to control life events, which continue to suffocate us. This situation is linked to fear, an emotion that cannot be expressed, leading to somatization and, in extreme cases, to irreversible problems. It is important to identify our type of behavior. If it is passive, it is useful to analyze yourself: do you walk with your head down? Are you afraid to reveal who you are? Do you get frightened when answering simple questions such as your name or where you live? Passive people have difficulty answering questions and speaking in public. With one person it is already difficult; with two, it progressively worsens, and it can cause panic, difficulty breathing, pressure in the chest, and cramps.

It is relevant to observe whether our parents are passive, because we may inherit this characteristic or develop it as a defense against an aggressive family environment. Being passive is a defense: a passive person is, in fact, an aggressive person who cannot express themselves. Neither passive nor aggressive behavior is healthy. There are gradations of passivity, aggressiveness, and assertiveness, and the predominant characteristic can make relating to others difficult.

Knowing our behavior is crucial for self-analysis. Identify your difficulties in relationships: are you afraid of being noticed in a course? Do you get butterflies in your stomach when going to new places? These questions help us understand our behavior. It is important to seek knowledge in psychology, psychoanalysis, and behavior in order to learn more about yourself. Facing yourself with courage reveals our predominant characteristic: passive, aggressive, or assertive.

The passive person is shrunken; the aggressive person looks for a fight; the assertive person balances the two situations. We will explore these characteristics, including where depression fits in. The passive person usually walks with their head down, is afraid to answer, and speaks in a withdrawn tone of voice. In the classroom, they sit at the back out of fear of being seen. On the street, they constantly watch themselves, worried about how others perceive them. This constant defensiveness and tension prevent a happy and healthy life. We need peace in order to produce peace, caring for nature, the planet, life, and the people around us.