Do you feel incapable of expressing your opinion? Can you show that you disagree with what another person is saying, or say something to them that they would not like to hear? Can you make a constructive criticism? Do you feel ashamed or afraid to say no, to return a defective article to a store, make a complaint? Are you capable of receiving a complement without feeling bad? Would you like to increase your personal effectiveness in your dealings with other persons, from bosses and or subordinates to members of you own family, friends, etc.?

We say that someone is assertive when they are capable of expressing their personal desires and feelings respecting the rights and the feelings of the other person. A person shows signs of assertiveness if they feel free to express themselves, can communicate openly and honestly with any other person, whether they are friends, family members or strangers. This person is capable of defending their rights, of expressing their likes and interests, of talking about themselves and of accepting compliments without feeling uncomfortable. They can express their disagreement with others, show their discrepancy when they think that it is important to ask for explanations, and to say "NO" without feeling uncomfortable or guilty, carry out plans to modify their own behavior and is also capable of asking others to change their way of behaving. All of this increases one's self-esteem, the confidence one has in him/herself, and this, at the same time, makes that his/her relationships with the persons around him/her are more satisfactory.

You may be reading these lines because you identify yourself with the description of this problem. The following questions track the presence of some of the typical aspects, taking into account that this does not in any way substitute the process of evaluation carried out to establish a clinical diagnosis, but rather represents a first approach to and a preliminary exploration of the problem.

These questions are designed to track the degree to which a person is capable of behaving assertively. If you also feel seriously unwell, or one of the areas of your life (leisure, work, academic, family, etc.) is being affected by this problem, it is possible that you have problems with assertiveness. But remember: this is only an approximation to the process of evaluation that is necessary before initiating any treatment. If you think you might have this problem, consult a health care professional so that you can decide if you wish to receive treatment.