Calling Out Violently Polite: Does it hold up?

A few years ago, I shared a vivid phrase to describe being passive-aggressive: “Violently polite.” 

I think it holds up, but I had forgotten about it. I’m glad for the chance to revisit this. In the years since then, I’ve been more likely to focus on “toxic positivity,” which is NOT the same thing. Toxic positivity is about trying to keep morale up by ignoring people’s legitimate concerns. Violent politeness is avoiding tough conversations by being passive-aggressive.

I may need to resurrect this thinking, watch for examples, and decide whether or not it truly holds up. In the meantime, it’s been fun to recall this notion.

Here’s the original post: https://www.groupdynamic.net/beware-of-being-violently-polite/

~ Alan