Ive found that the “my way or highway” attitrude is often a defense mechanism and they will meet you halfway if you simply ackowledge their point of view. Acc

Ive found that the “my way or highway” attitrude is often a defense mechanism and they will meet you halfway if you simply ackowledge their point of view. Accepting and acknowledging are not the same thing though so I dont mean to cave in if you disagree. I speak as a toxic person myself. Years of systemaric abuse and I was pretty much a marcissistic asshole. 100% a defense mechanism to avoid abuse. I had never learned what validation was. Also I isually assumed everyone was out to get me. Took me years of living without a relationship to learn to learn what an absolute dunderhead I could be. Sometimes other peoples actions are simply a reflection of your own attitide. I look at it this way, if everyone around me is an ahole, the only thing they have in common is me. Maybe, just maybe, I myself may need to learn to communicate and validate those around me. And I need to do that without selling myself short.