Boundaries Make Others Take Personal Responsibility for Their Behavior

Something you’ll notice when you’re setting boundaries for yourself and others are that it can easily make them uncomfortable.

In a lot of ways, people have become used to no real resistance when it comes to offhanded comments or using others for their advantage.

Setting boundaries and enforcing them makes the other person take responsibility for their behavior, something that some people are not very used to. It is new and scary for them, so it’ll be very off-putting in their minds.

This is one of the reasons that boundaries can come off as aggressive at first. While you’re only being vaguely defensive, others can take it as a personal threat that you’re making them have some actual responsibility for thinking about what they say and do before they do it.

As uncomfortable as it may be for them, though, they have to get over it and start to learn how to act and treat people with respect. Taking responsibility for your behavior means you can no longer just do things mindlessly.

Learning how to deal with self-righteous people includes boundaries. In fact. they are foundational.

You actually have to take people’s feelings and desires into account. This is a pretty realistic expectation for someone to have, and it’s in no way difficult if you just decide to be kind and treat others with respect.

It’s very seldom that others have boundaries that you would accidentally cross just by being nice, but if you do, apologize and keep that in mind. These boundaries aren’t just for others to be responsible, though.

Some boundaries also force you to take responsibility and act in a certain way that either benefits you and helps you towards success or helps others.

For example, if you set boundaries for yourself for finances, you’re holding yourself accountable for being responsible when it comes to the money you’re spending and how you’re spending it.

It can be uncomfortable for you to hold yourself responsible, but it needs to be done. In the short term, others will be uncomfortable with having to be responsible like this. However, it’s better in the long run for everyone.

By being more conscious and willing to think about what you’re actually doing, everyone will be able to communicate and interact with you in a more satisfying manner.

Those who refuse to adapt will be looked down upon, but everyone else will be a lot happier with one another, since this kind of behavior transfers from person to person.