Think about how you feel when someone tells you to do something, whether it's a boss, a partner, a parent, or anyone else. I’m guessing you don’t like it any more than I do. I bristle sometimes, even when I’m asked to do something I was going to do anyway.

There are many reasons we can have a negative reaction when someone tries to change our behavior, and they vary from person to person. Here are six common ones.

When we were kids, we probably assumed we’d be the ones giving orders when we were adults, and no one would be bossing us around. When someone tells you to change what you’re doing, it can evoke an unwelcome feeling of being a kid all over again. Sometimes, we might even respond childishly and have the grown-up version of a temper tantrum, stamping our foot and yelling, “You can’t tell me what to do!”

Closely related to feeling like a kid is the sense of powerlessness that........

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