We’re all entitled to our own views and to make our point. The trouble is that older folk often worry they will seem aggressive if they do.
But actually, the opposite is true. Indeed, assertiveness is often defined as the ability to be self-assured and confident without being aggressive.
The other important characteristic of assertiveness is that we should speak up sooner rather than later.
If we don’t, the chances are that we will become hot under the collar and come across as hostile rather than reasonable.
I was in a small supermarket the other day and while there I saw a woman of about my age gaze at a shelf and then look worried.
I was about to speak to her when she spied two assistants talking together as they unpacked a mound of boxes of goods that had just been delivered.
They were engrossed in their task, and didn’t appear to see the customer.
She, meanwhile, wandered over to them and then stood swapping her balance from one foot to another and coughing to attract their attention.
By the time they noticed her, she seemed really cross. In fact, she shouted at them using the........