1. Procrastination or “forgetting”
One of the first things you can notice in someone who has a passive-aggressive attitude is procrastination. If you ask them to do something and you give them a deadline, for instance, they might put off that thing until the last minute, when they can’t avoid it anymore.
Another thing is when they pretend that they keep forgetting things when the reality is actually different. If you text them to meet, for example, they might agree with your proposal, and even be excited about it. However, then they quickly send a last-minute excuse about why they can no longer meet up.
Keep in mind that these types of excuses are plausible enough to believe, but for those who have this kind of behavior, it’s their way of controlling the things that happen around them.
2. Sarcasm
We know that sarcasm can be really fun at times, especially if you know how to use it, but it can also be harmful in other types of situations. If you ask your partner to do something for you and they respond to you with a sarcastic comment, it might be a clear sign of passive-aggressive behavior.
Your significant other might say something such as “Yes, sure, anything for you, honey”, when you ask them to buy food from the grocery store, for example, but what they really mean is something like “All you ever do is boss me around”. That’s sarcasm used as passive-aggressive behavior and it can get annoying and harmful pretty quick if you don’t have a serious conversation with your partner about it.
And that is not all. They might give you compliments, though they’re not sincere, but rather back-handed or insults couched in a compliment. An example based on the situation previously mentioned might be this one: “Thank you for your generosity, I’m surprised you did the groceries without me asking you to” or something such as “You look really good when you actually make an effort”.
3. Doing things inefficiently
Another sign that your partner might have some behavior issues is when they do their tasks, but only halfway through. This can consist of activities such as leaving the dishwasher half-full or taking the trash out from the bin but forgetting to actually take it out.
Another example is when they have to make an appointment for something, but they wait until the last minute to actually do it (this might be similar to the first sign on our list). This is not a constructive way to get one’s demands fulfilled, but rather, a kind of retaliation and a statement of contempt.
