“Not reacting” sounds rather convenient as a description of what you were doing. You're attributing a whole causal strategy to it: that your lack of reaction made him escalate, reveal himself, and eventually “dig his own grave.” But how do you actually know that? It sounds like you're retrospectively framing your own behavior as a deliberate tactic rather than simply not confronting him. And if the point is that you were deliberately withholding reactions because you knew it would frustrate him and make him expose himself, that's not really passive nonreaction anymore. It's a form of psychological strategy. Calling it simply “not reacting” obscures what you're actually describing.
When people take a swing and it does nothing. It impacts them. When they swing it's because they want you to react. This was coming from someone who thought they were smarter than me. It's not my fault if his ego got shattered.
If I were to appease you, what action should I have taken ? Should I have cried ? Maybe start yelling to generate some kind of entanglement giving the abuser leverage to start gaslighting me ?
this still reads to me like you were just being incredibly passive and letting him walk all over you. And why are the only options in this scenario crying, screaming or doing nothing? Could you not sit down and have a conversation, come up with some house rules etc?
Sitting down and talking with him isn't an option. It's like talking to that Goon over there. Pride.
One time my ex was over and he was having a conversation with her by the stairs as she was on her way up while I was in my room. She was talking about how she applied for a job, high paying. My ex is just an average looking woman, Then he started with his shit saying things like "Well looks matter and only the best looking people get jobs like that y'know that's how the world works blah blah blah". My ex was quiet while he was carrying on, so I stood at the top of the stairs and I was like "WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT !? GET UPSTARS !!!: Without thinking she bolted up the stairs and into the room, then I slammed the door. Then she got all giddy and we started laughing. She was going on "I really like how you did that thank you <3" ( This paragraph is actually a porn script called panty ass, where I'm the male star )
When we came down later on he was nowhere to be seen. He was in his room for a change then when I saw him later he was carrying on like a yes man.
I wasn't even mad, I was just making her day.
I am passive aggressive though. I think losing one's cool is dumb so I like to stay focused on whatever I decide to do, even if it's to deal damage I have better judgement. More focus. I won't fuck shit up, and if I fuch shit up it'll be well done.
My older Brother made me like this. I can write a novel from childhood to even now how he handles his jealousy toward me. His ex from high school. Her family loves him. Nice chinese Jamaican girl. They took him to Disney, Jamaica, fucking N64 for Christmas which was thee #1 gift that year. But that family hated me. Years later his ex is all fucked up over how he'd treat me and whine about it to a female family member. His boys have similar sentiments. Between our extended family i'm the star, cousins etc. We go to Trinidad, cousins husband is hardcore and while I'm getting all the attention even he is like "You're sitting with me in the front." Yay. But yeah my Brother, he wouldn't even hide it. When I got my first Ninja he was furious, and wouldn't bother hiding it. His cheeks would puff with a "Fuck you !" and it was endless.
Ex (Same one) brake checked me, and.... I lost the bike. Only had it for 10 days total. So I'm bikeless and he started cooling off.
10 month later I get a new one, and Mr. Hyde came back. This has been going on since childhood so when people are jealous of me, I tend to count my blessings and not allow others to drag me down, and it's genuine, cause, I did leave home cause of my older Brother, he was turning everyone against me, everyone was acting like I stole from them but couldn't prove it. I was gone for 7 years no contact from 22 to 29, I was estranged.
For years I'd harbor hatred real hate. I don't use this word lightly, I'd have nightmares, I'd complain about him. For years I wanted support before I realized I was annoying people with my complaints. ( I was young ) My Father's place is nice and I'm out in the world struggling. I learned a lot, became stronger mentally. So this guy, the housemate. I just let him burn the way my Brother did. My mistake with my Brother was ditching home. I lost everything but the bike and a guitar, whole wardrobe, gone. He got what he wanted. I did not.
If I reacted to housemate, that gives the aggressor power. Because of my experience my composure was genuine. This also started happening after after the 11 month stonewall from the woman next door, plus my ex boomeranged, lady down the street was vexed with me Yulia. The dog girl awkwardly stopped talking to me cause my ex sends signals when we walk and she'd cling into me and dog girl saw it. Everything was good, so yeah there's a jealous person. He was old too 61 then. ( Shit he might actually be dead after all these years ) The other guy who lived there, respects me. Other guys who lived there. Respect me. None of them talk to him. Observers are angry for me, plus they have their own beefs with him. I don't know if you're angry for me, or at me, but you're a bit ticked off hearing this. Probably works in my favor long after the fact, so it's overkill.
He later asked if my ex got the Job. She did. Dude literally frowned, like he had no awareness I was right there looking at him.
A frenemy is simply an enemy that has easy access to whoever they hate on.