Demand Avoidance

Some psychologists recognize a pattern called 'demand avoidance.' (It started as 'pathological demand avoidance,' but that’s ridiculous! Like we need to pathologize more things….) Basically, demand avoidance is the driving need to avoid being confined or restricted. This can take the demand-avoider into a lot of resistance! I have a friend who might say 'the weather is nice,' and if I respond 'oh yes, it is,' she might very well tell me I'm wrong. I puzzled over this for a long time. And it seems that is part of the pattern – because if you both agree the weather is fine, you are locked in. Game over.

Yikes.