When people disrespect you or violate your boundaries, and you don’t say anything, it’s like they are throwing a tennis ball at you — and you aren’t tossing them back. If you remain silent, the person doing the throwing will continue to do so.
Many times, the comments that hurt were not intended to do so, and the violator would be willing to change their behavior or language if they knew how their words were received by you, but you stew internally instead of speaking. As a result, a pile of these slights accumulates, making you madder and madder.
The next time someone lobs a verbal dig at you, overtly or not, think of it as a tennis ball flying your way. You can only leave so many of them lying on the court before you start to trip over them and be impacted by their presence. Have the courage to lob one back with a respectful challenge to the miscue. It gives the person a chance to apologize in the present and correct in the future, and it gives you the self-respect you deserve. Nothing is gained by just taking it in silence.
