Communication occurs in many forms and can include talking with or confiding in someone to get "stuff off your chest", reconciling an argument, making friends or new connections, and making yourself understood to others.  Therefore communication skills are vital in helping people to speak, listen or express concerns to others.

Generally 3 possible styles of communication will occur between people:

The first is assertive communication.  This form of communication involves clearly expressing your opinion, how you feel and anything you may want, and doing this in a way that is not seen as a demand, but rather straightforward, honest communication.  This communication style is based on the understanding that both people matter and the issue can be worked out to suit everyone.

The second is aggressive communication.  People who communicate aggressively will generally display force and hostility towards others, and this may mean that they "blame" others for failings or "accuse" other people as the cause of a bad outcome.  A person's tone of voice and facial or body expressions appear unfriendly.

The third and final communication style is passive communication.  Passive communication involves not asking for what you want, or expressing your own emotions or thoughts but rather putting what you want last.  Often people who use this style of communication feel resentful, as if people are "walking all over them" and this is because their needs are not being heard or looked at.  If you use passive communication you may often find yourself thinking "My needs don't matter".

There are many examples of people who have made a stand in an assertive manner.  For example: