Defending Myself - Tumblr Posts
Or what?!
On rare occasions, I would take the tiniest step toward defending myself.
“Please don’t talk to me like that.”
The response was always the same.
“Or what?!”
“Or nothing? Just don’t.”
He did not know how to navigate a world without threats. I didn’t use a threat to establish a boundary and he interpreted that as a green light to continue the behaviour. He thought I offered nothing of value if I didn’t see it as something to withhold.
Don’t get me wrong here. There are consequences for your actions, and repeated disrespect in a relationship probably should end in its termination. But a constant tit for tat situation is petty at best, and that’s not the type of partner I am.
So I never took that bait and I think I disappointed him with my response. He had probably rehearsed a nasty retort to “Or I’ll leave you” that he never got to use. Pity.