I learned to be assertive from my mother. She always expresses her feelings, is comfortable with saying no, acts in her family's best interest, and also thinks about the common good.

She's the most assertive person I know. No one can take advantage of her. If you try, she will let you know about it. And you won't like it.

What is assertiveness actually? Robert E. Alberti and Michael L. Emmons are considered the lead experts in this field. Their book Your Perfect Right , first published in 1970, is considered a classic on the topic. They define assertive behavior as follows: