Threats are one of the most abused tactics in negotiation. A threat seems easy to make—much easier than an offer. All it takes is a few words, and if it works, you never have to carry it out. But threats can lead to counterthreats in an escalating spiral that can unhinge a negotiation and even destroy a relationship.
My mother. Calling it out as a child resulted in her eternal rejoin, "I'm not making a threat, I'm making a promise." I felt that reframing was unfair, a semantic shift with no change in behaviour. But her admission did change her phrasing. She became self-aware of her own unreasonable expectations and emotionally abusive words.
However, those words forever echo in my mind and make it hard to be close to her. I never want to treat anyone like that either.
