Stonewalling
Refusing engagement as a way to end a conversation on one person's terms.
Stonewalling differs from an avoidant time-out by what follows it: no return, no repair, and a cost attached to raising the subject again.
What it looks like
- Days of silence that end only when you apologise for raising it.
- Being physically present and deliberately unreachable.
What it isn't
- A stated pause with a time to resume.
- Someone who genuinely needs to calm down and says so.
One thing to do with this
Track how the subject ends. If it only ever ends with your concession, that is the pattern.
Where this shows up in the field guide
These sections of the green flags field guide cover the behaviours behind stonewalling.