Chapter:
4 Assertive Skills from the Story The Verger
Assertive
skills from the story
Assertiveness
means the ability to express opinions or desires strongly and with confidence,
so that people take notice. Assertive people understand their rights and
responsibilities and stand up for them. They are not afraid to say 'no,' if the
situation demands it. They are not shy, or hesitant to ask for clarification
from others. They ask for help when it is needed. Their body language shows
confidence and belief in themselves.
In
contrast to assertive behaviour, are two undesirable types of behaviour. These
are submissiveness and aggression. While submissiveness refers to agreeing to
everything at the cost of pain to oneself, aggression refers to achieving one's
goals unmindful of how others suffer. Both behaviours lead to problems in human
relationships.
In
the story The Verger,' the foreman states his position clearly and confidently.
He
says that he cannot learn to read and write at his age. He knows that he has to
give up his job, yet he does not behave in a way that will allow him to keep
the job but lose his self-respect. To tide over his crisis, he establishes a
petty shop and becomes a big businessman. In the end he is also willing to risk
investing his money in shares and stocks. Thus he displays the assertive skills
required for success in life.
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