The Practice of Self-Assertiveness

Self-assertiveness means the willingness to stand up for myself, to be who I am openly, to treat myself with respect in all human encounters.

Self-assertive person honors own wishes, values and needs, and finds ways to express them in reality. The opposite is hiding our values, wishes and needs when they differ from others'. The reason can be to please someone, to "belong" (belonging to a group of people or a person whom we like, to show as if we have the same values and wishes, etc.), or to manipulate.

This pillar doesn't mean being arrogant to others' values, wishes and needs, but simply means to be willing to stand for ourselves, to not be shy or afraid being rejected just because we have needs and values different from others'. It means refusing to fake our personality to be liked by others.