Microaggression refers to subtle, everyday exchanges and behaviors that communicate derogatory or hostile messages. These interactions can be verbal, nonverbal, or environmental cues, typically embedded in prejudices, stereotypes, or biases. Generally, microaggressions can focus on various aspects of a person’s identity, including gender, race, sexual orientation or preference, religion, disability status, or socioeconomic context. In this article, I will specifically focus more on microaggressions in relationships that usually manifest as passive-aggressive behaviors.

These microaggression behaviors usually fall into three categories: micro-invalidations, micro-insults, and micro-assaults.

Micro-invalidations refer to subtle actions or statements that invalidate or dismiss a person’s feelings, thoughts, experiences, needs, or identity. These behaviors often undermine the validity of a person’s experiences, contributing to feelings of not being seen or heard or of being discounted.

Micro-insults are subtle remarks or behaviors that convey disrespect, insensitivity, or demeaning messages. Unlike overt insults, micro-insults are covert and may seem innocent to the perpetrator but are hurtful or offensive to the recipient. These........

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