Posted by:
nwguy
(
)
Date: August 24, 2011 05:01PM
There's a fascinating article today in the City Weekly sharing Weber State University Professor Michael Steven's insight to why Mormons appear to demonstrate such strong tendencies towards what's traditionally known as passive-aggressive behavior in their interactions with others.
http://www.cityweekly.net/utah/article-14558-passive-aggressive-m.htmlProfessor Steven prefers to use the terms "passive contempt" or "passive hostility". It's a great read.
Here's an interesting tibit:
Q: Does the practice of public sustaining votes in the LDS Church create a passive-aggressive culture?
A: Where on Earth do you have to stand up and justify your dissenting vote to the people who held the vote? What countries or places do you have supposed votes where the proposition is always passed with 99.99 percent of the vote? Totalitarian regimes, where the message is very clear—you obey, you submit. If you live in this culture that has this confusion between conflict and contention, and you’re told over and over again that you have no right to question, you just have to bow your head and vote yes. What kind of response does that condition in the members of the culture when it comes to dealing with conflict? You don’t stand up and challenge; you just drop your pen so you don’t have to vote and go along with it. Or you tell people, “Yeah, I’ll be there on Saturday,” and then you don’t go.
What's your experience with Mormons who demonstrate passive-aggressive behavior? How has it gotten in the way of healthy, constructive relationships either in the home or at work?