December 03, 2025

184. Transforming Your Passive-Aggressive Communication Patterns. Passive Aggression, Part 3

22 minutes

Healthy boundaries are part of any healthy relationship. And passive aggression often shows up when we are not setting clear boundaries.

Passive-aggressive communication may look small on the surface, but it creates confusion, distance, and a surprising amount of emotional fatigue. In this episode, Alejandra Siroka shows why indirect comments and hidden resentment become so draining and why many people default to these habits when they fear disappointing others or being dismissed. The discussion centers on a simple but powerful idea: clarity is not harshness, and honesty is not danger.

Listeners are invited to reflect on an important question: what happens when you stop expecting others to read your mind and start trusting your voice instead? Alejandra walks through four core skills that support more direct expression, from identifying your actual needs to setting boundaries before resentment builds. She also shares a daily journaling practice that helps you notice your patterns and strengthen your ability to communicate with intention.

The heart of this episode is the reminder that passive aggression fades when self-worth grows, and every clear statement you make creates more connection, not less.

Quotes

"Going through elaborate methods to try to have people read our minds and then feeling hurt when they can't is not only exhausting, it is a form of self abandonment." (07:19 | Alejandra Siroka)

"No's are as important as yeses in our relationships." (10:21 | Alejandra Siroka)

"Passive aggression often comes from a deep belief that we are not worthy of direct communication, that if we are too direct, too clear or too much ourselves, people will reject us." (13:31 | Alejandra Siroka)

"Learning to believe that you are worthy of expressing yourself directly, that your feelings matter, that your needs are legitimate, that you don't have to manipulate, control, or manage situations or people into caring about you." (35:05 | Alejandra Siroka)

"Every time you choose direct communication over passive aggression, you are choosing to co-create and maintain thriving relationships and contributing to a more conscious world." (37:45 | Alejandra Siroka)

Links

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Podcast Music composed by Gary Lapow: open.spotify.com/artist/1HlMhcNfKIELxYil5mVqD

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

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By Alejandra Siroka

3131 ratings