Anger that has accumulated over time without being expressed or adequately addressed. Heavier and more settled than acute [[Angry]]. Often arrives accompanied by a narrative about the other person's pattern or motives — which may contain real observation but is also likely to be distorted by the accumulation itself. Resentment is a signal that a need has been unmet repeatedly, and that a way of voicing or addressing it has not yet been found. ## What it commonly points toward - [[Need - Reciprocity]] - [[Need - To Be Seen]] - [[Need - Autonomy]] - [[Need - Fairness]] - [[Need - Understanding]] - [[Need - Integrity]] ## Working with this feeling The presence of resentment is worth taking seriously — not as a verdict on another person, but as evidence that something real has been going unaddressed. The narrative that accompanies resentment is worth examining carefully: it will contain real information but is unlikely to be the whole picture. The useful questions are: *what need has been repeatedly unmet here? And what has prevented me from addressing it directly?* The second question is often as revealing as the first. ## The accommodation pattern Resentment frequently develops in people with high agreeableness or strong conflict-avoidance — needs are accommodated past rather than voiced, the cost accumulates invisibly, and resentment is the first clear signal that something has gone too far for too long. ## Related feelings [[Angry]] | [[Withdrawn]] | [[Invisible]] [[Disconnected]] | [[Bitter]] ## Related notes [[The Pause Protocol]] | [[Need - Reciprocity]] [[NVC Overview]]