Episode 4: When No Starts to Mean Maybe: Standing Your Ground in a World of Justifications

What happens when boundaries become negotiable? When “no” turns into “well, maybe just this once”? In this episode of Lessons Unlocked, Anthony Gangi explores how repeated pushback—from inmates, coworkers, or even loved ones—can slowly wear down your resolve. It starts with one exception. Then another. And before long, your standard isn’t yours anymore—it’s been replaced by compromise masked as kindness.

Drawing from real-life correctional scenarios and personal moments outside the wall, this episode dives into:
•Why people start justifying exceptions—and how those justifications become excuses
•How persistent manipulation (or even just emotional fatigue) makes “standing your ground” feel like selfishness
•The difference between boundaries and barriers—and how to set ones that stand
•How to spot when you’re abandoning your standards just to avoid conflict
•And how to reclaim authority in your decisions, without losing your compassion

Because if you don’t protect your “no,” someone else will turn it into their yes.