2025/05/23 Adopting a defensive stance with a certain person might bring a brief halt to a tense or awkward scenario but will undoubtedly serve to prolong it in other ways. As soon as you put your foot down and make clear youre no longer willing to be supportive or receptive, you kill any chance of keeping essential communication flowing. There are ways of retaining or regaining control that dont involve stubbornnesss or assertiveness. Explore them sensitively.