“Acceptance is the healthy way to respond to boundaries and is a sign of a functional, mutual relationship. Despite all the fear around boundary setting, in my experience most people will graciously accept your requests. When people respond in an unhealthy way, it’s typically a sign that you needed limits a long time ago and that you need to reevaluate the relationship to assess whether your needs are being met satisfactorily. Most likely, you’ve been denying the issue far too long. Perhaps your issue is being asked to do things, saying yes, and resenting the other person for asking. Or your issue might be allowing someone to say things to you that make you comfortable. Boundaries are the cure to most relationship problems. But both parties have to participate and respect the boundaries on either side.”