Attacks your feelings and bonds
Silent treatment
They withdraw all contact to punish you until you give in.
The first tell
You feel anxious. That feeling arrives before you can name the move.
What it sounds like
After a disagreement, a friend stops answering for a week and posts about loyal people.
Say back
I'm ready to talk when you are. I won't chase.
If they push
They stay silent for another week.
I said the door is open. I'm getting on with my week.
How this family is disarmed
Weigh actions over words and keep your own pace.
If this is a pattern with someone close to you, and you feel afraid or controlled, a better comeback isn't the fix. Read when to stop arguing and where to get help.
Paid
See it in dating and at work
Context packs show this tactic in the settings where it does the most damage, and let you drill it against a timer.
Related tactics
- Love bombingIntense affection arrives very fast, before trust has had time to form.
- Guilt-trippingThey make you feel like a bad person for saying no.
- NeggingA put-down dressed as a compliment, meant to make you seek their approval.
- Future fakingBig promises about later are used to get what they want now.