Not Doing Something Because We Are Told To Do It

You may have noticed that if someone pushes you to do something, it often makes you feel less inclined to do it. This is a phenomenon known as psychological reactance: a reflex reaction to being told what to do, or feel that your freedom is under threat. It can occur in personal, professional or social settings when you feel that you need to regain a sense of control over your autonomy.

Controlling someone else’s sense of freedom can trigger anger, and motivate them to regain it.