Passivity is:

* Refusing to express feelings, act, or decide because of what might happen to you.

* Making excuses for others' hurtful behavior and not dealing with them about it.

* Over-politeness: always putting others first or letting them take your turn or disturb you without your speaking up.

* Acting frm a sense of obligation (a form of fear).

* Smoothing over situations so that the real feelings do not emerge (from yourself or others).

* Over-commitment: doing too much for too long for too little thanks, and when even more is asked of you, doing it dutifully.

* Avoiding decisive action by coping with an unsatisfactory situation or relationship or hoping it might change. What we are not changing, we are choosing.