Anyone have trouble being assertive which leads to people believing they can just take their anger and frustrations out on you simply because they know you won't say or do anything about it? I have this problem and I always have especially if someone is much older than me. It's something I've been working on and I have gotten a bit better and standing up for myself when it's people my own age lashing out but still not brave enough to do it when it's someone much older. I'm always worried they will find a way to make me out to be the bad person if I'm assertive and tell someone who is older than me to stop taking their anger out on me.

This is super obvious when someone only does it to me but no one else and at times it may even seem like that person doesn't like me. In some cases that can be true but in other cases I think it's just them lashing out because when things are going well then they treat me just fine. It feels more like they just see me as an easy target because they know I won't say anything to stand up for myself. Wish there was a way to become more assertive especially with people way older than me including coworkers without them getting mad and making me out to be a disrespectful person.