Resistance

Passive aggressive: of or denoting a type of behaviour or personality characterised by indirect resistance to the demands of others and an avoidance of direct confrontation, as in procrastinating, pouting, or misplacing important materials.

indirect resistance...avoidance of direct confrontation...to the demands of others. I could just say no and tell them because I said so if I weren't so afraid that it would make matters worse. These people have the ability to hurt me through my feelings for them, or their physical and financial strengths. They have what I want and, whether they admit it or not, they use it to control me. And I have a lot of controlling people in my life. And they are all shades of crazy emotional abuse. I am only now beginning to recognise this. I don't know how I attract these people and why I accept this behaviour. Perhaps I am a glutton for punishment, or perhaps I am insecure, or perhaps naive...I don't know. It doesn't really matter, as long as I stop it now.