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This page in a nutshell: Being passive aggressive to other editors, especially newcomers, makes you look unprofessional and mean. |
Passive aggression is behavior "characterized by the expression of negative feelings, resentment, and aggression in an unassertive passive way (as through procrastination and stubbornness)".[1] The basic meaning of this is degrading and insulting others in a way that makes it sound neutral and not harmful. Being passive aggressive to others on Wikipedia makes you look unfriendly, and new editors will be less likely to ask you for help. However, you still need to say what needs to be said in tough situations.