One of my personality traits is that I want to be understood. I take it personally when I feel like someone doesn’t understand who I am. Unfortunately, this clashes somewhat with the fact that I’m a passive person most of the time. If someone hurts my feelings, I sometimes will react in extreme ways as a way to communicate that fact, because I have trouble telling someone directly how I feel.

I’m a people pleaser. I have a hard time being blunt, because I don’t want to hurt anyone’s feelings. In my mind, round-about ways of communication are better because it’s less likely to hurt. That’s not usually the case, however. It’s like swallowing poison and hoping for the other person to die. I use that analogy all the time, but it’s still true. I end up hurting myself, and I still haven’t really accomplished the goal of communicating how I feel.

My need to be understood hasn’t and probably won’t change. What can change though is how I react. Through God, I know that someone understands how I feel. And that helps take the edge off so I can be direct with someone.