The Many Facets of Assertion

How assertive are you? Do you know what being assertive really means? Typically in this culture, assertion has the connotation of stepping up to the plate and taking some bold action. Gabor Maté, MD, author of When the Body Says NO – Exploring the Stress-Disease Connection, presents an interesting perspective on assertion. He asserts that it may have little to do with taking action. Rather it is the declaration to oneself and to the world that I am and that I am who I am. Assertion in the sense of self-declaration is deeper than the limited autonomy of action. It not only challenges the core belief that you must somehow justify your existence, but also demands neither acting nor reacting. Assertion may be the very opposite of action, not only in the narrow sense of refusing to do something you do not wish to do but also in letting go of the very need to act. Assertion is being, irrespective of action.