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The Bill of Assertive Rights

This is one version of the Bill of Assertive Rights, taken from the book When I Say No, I Feel Guilty by Manuel J Smith. All of the rights listed are  based around one key principle: ‘The right to be the final judge of yourself is the prime assertive right which allows no one to manipulate you’.

  1. You have the right to judge your own behaviour, thoughts, and emotions, and to take the responsibility for their initiation and consequences upon yourself.

  2. You have the right to offer no reasons or excuses for justifying your behaviour.

  3. You have the right to judge if you are responsible for finding solutions to other people’s problems.

  4. You have the right to change your mind.

  5. You have the right to make mistakes – and be responsible for them.

  6. You have the right to say, ‘I don’t know’.

  7. You have the right to be independent of the goodwill of others before coping with them.

  8. You have the right to be illogical in making decisions.

  9. You have the right to say, ‘I don’t understand’.

  10. You have the right to say, ‘I don’t care’.

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