Assertiveness Essay

It is not situations that cause us to become upset with ourselves, it is our interpretations if the meaning of those events. How we react especially when the situation has an element of personal conflict with another person, in turn defines how we view ourselves

Learning to behave assertively can be life-changing and while you may not yet have acquired these skills you will now understand how superior assertiveness is to other forms of dialogue and actions in potentially difficult situations.

If you do not already possess these skills, and most people with poor self-esteem do not, then you need to practise a great deal. Learning to deal with daunting situations by planning ahead, rather than relying on instinct, will develop your self-esteem.

List of ‘rights’ can be very long, so we wish merely to remind you of your right to be a normal fallible human being, and to ensure you appreciate that this makes you just like everybody else.

Eye contact is an important ingredient of a confident expression but can be heard to get right, especially if you feel nervous- while pretending not to be. Eye contact is important because it shows that you wish to communicate with the other person and are interested in what they have to say. So look people in the eye not only when you are speaking, but also when they are; this will also help you to gauge their reactions and respond accordingly. Too much eye contact can seem rather aggressive and overpowering: too little can make you seem nervous or embarrassed.

Smile! Nothing lights up your face and makes you look more confident than a smile. Not only does smiling make you appear warm and friendly, but research has shown that it will help you feel more

This, of course is often easier said than done, and has to be linked, up to a point, to your basic personality.

Just remember three things.

1. Rights carry responsibilities.

2. Others have rights as well. Don’t let this deter you from saying your piece, but be prepared for the other person to say theirs too

3. See things from the other person’s point of view as well as your own

Whatever happens later, the first impression is the most significant factor on which others will assess you- and you them. Think about what happens when you meet someone new. You immediately look for signs and signals that will categorize them in your mind. To project confidence yourself, work on the following.

Ensure that your body language shows the same confidence as your facial expression. During the ‘first impressions’ stage, you will be judged much more on these things than on what you say. People will judge your behaviour more than your comments at this point.

Most often charismatic individuals are free of annoying or distracting habits and mannerisms.

Profane language and inappropriate jokes are also destructive to