I hang it up to keep it out of the way and to keep feet that haven’t just been washed off of it, so it’s more of an added bonus. Plus, I’d bang the shit out of my elbows trying to dry my hair in my shower stall and if I don’t dry that first, it’s pointless.

I’ve been recommended this book multiple times and it probably would help me, but I feel like I’d have to admit to myself that my goal is manipulation before picking it up, and I don’t want that to be my goal.

Tbh, saying “come feel my wound, bro” is a metal as hell way to respond to Thomas

I just hang the bath mat up to dry afterwards, problem solved

I fully agree. It’s not always intentional, because sometimes I do pick up on it (probably the non native language + work makes it just impossible to get in the moment from her), but I almost always pretend not to, and it generally defuses the situation pretty well.

I’m also a crier, so the alternative is not great

My boss has got very high EQ, but tends to have fraught, tense relationships with our female coworkers (I described it to my husband as working with a mother and daughter who don’t get along- they say a bunch of things that seem nice and also seem to hurt each other a lot and I don’t know why).

She sometimes says passive aggressive things to me, but it always takes me too long to parse passive aggression in person, so I respond completely earnestly. This seems to confuse her without being rude, and she’s just vexed by me.

Actually, passive aggression in general makes me feel very neurodivergent.