Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:I don't think anyone should be trying to provoke you on purpose, but I'm struggling to think of something that isn't overtly political that would be that upsetting. Was it worth it? Could you have just rolled your eyes and walked away?
It involves something related to my child. I truly did try to ignore it, but they kept challenging me in a hostile way. Once I realized they were likely trying to get a rise out of me, I snapped and figured I should give them what they wanted.
Anonymous wrote:So what you do is damage control, OP.
You tell every mutual acquaintance that she crossed a line by provoking you in your own home after you tried to be a very patient host (all these words are important). That this is the last straw after a long period of feeling bullied by this person's insistence on broaching a sensitive topic that you prefer to keep private. That you felt violated and decided to give her a piece of your mind. And that you deem you were in the right, you will not apologize because you have nothing to apologize for, and that this person is not welcome in your house anymore.
Don't feel bad, OP. Some people just don't get hints and need to be taught the hard way to leave you alone. My mother is like this. When she whined to all our relatives after I finally blew up at her... they didn't believe her, because she has a history of needling and nagging and pushing.
It's going to be all right.
Anonymous wrote:So what you do is damage control, OP.
You tell every mutual acquaintance that she crossed a line by provoking you in your own home after you tried to be a very patient host (all these words are important). That this is the last straw after a long period of feeling bullied by this person's insistence on broaching a sensitive topic that you prefer to keep private. That you felt violated and decided to give her a piece of your mind. And that you deem you were in the right, you will not apologize because you have nothing to apologize for, and that this person is not welcome in your house anymore.
Don't feel bad, OP. Some people just don't get hints and need to be taught the hard way to leave you alone. My mother is like this. When she whined to all our relatives after I finally blew up at her... they didn't believe her, because she has a history of needling and nagging and pushing.
It's going to be all right.
Anonymous wrote:Yes, you were wrong to express your anger and frustration in an inappropriate way. We have a lot of choices when we get mad, and it’s our fault when we choose the wrong way. Whether your guest was wrong to disrespect your boundaries is not significant. It’s your choice to express your anger inappropriately that is the issue here.
I’d suggest looking into learning and using some anger management techniques. We all get mad. It’s what we do with our anger that is ok, or not ok.
Anonymous wrote:You are both in the wrong. She was in the wrong for poking the bear and you were in the wrong for taking the bait.
Sounds like you also apologized immediately. If somebody asks you about it, you can say hey they were poking with bear. I blew up. I apologized to him. it was wrong of me to blow up. And move on.
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:You DID attack them.
Yes, but only after being provoked repeatedly.
But any way, what should I do now? I’m still not exactly happy with this person for the things they said.
Anonymous wrote:I’m hoping for some outside perspective here.
Someone in my life was over at my house this weekend. While visiting, they brought up a very polarizing, hot-button topic, one that affects me personally and emotionally. They know this. And they also know (or should know) how I feel about it. They lean the opposite direction, and instead of letting it be, they kept pushing.
(Just to clarify: it's not anything overtly political—nothing about Trump, Palestine, sexuality, immigration, or anything like that. I know it’s vague, but I can’t say more without it being too identifiable.)
I tried to disengage and not take the bait, but they kept at it. Eventually, I lost my cool. I yelled. I got aggressive. Definitely not my proudest moment, but also, I felt seriously provoked. This wasn’t a neutral debate; it felt like they came in looking to stir something up.
Now, they’re going around telling people I "attacked" them, and I’ve gotten a couple of texts from mutuals today asking what happened and why I "blew up" at X. FWIW, I did apologize for my tone in the moment, though now I sort of wish I hadn’t!
So I guess I’m wondering, am I the one in the wrong here? I know I didn’t handle it well at the end, but I also feel like there's a line, and they crossed it. You don’t go to someone’s house, bring up something deeply personal to them, and keep poking until they snap, right?