STRIKING the perfect balance in communication is important for everyone’s social skills development. Author Steph Vermeulen says assertiveness is often mistaken for overconfidence, but the two are very different things. "Assertiveness comes from our authentic self. And overconfidence is something that we can act." She says people who are overconfident are probably putting on an act to overcompensate for an insecurity, which can also come across as being arrogant. "Assertiveness is really important in the development of healthy relationships because assertiveness is about boundaries and if we want to have any form of healthy relationship it requires boundaries," she says. The ability to be assertive means learning to say no to things you do not want to do. This in turn will reduce your stress levels. Vermeulen says the most stressed people are those who cannot say no and end up taking on more than they want to. Resentment and anger eventually creep in and this shows up in tantrums an...
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