If you repeatedly say, “Do not speak to me that way,” but continue under the same conditions,…

If you repeatedly say, “Do not speak to me that way,” but continue under the same conditions, the other person hears the absence of a boundary. A boundary is not only words. It is also your action: ending an insulting conversation, leaving, or changing access. That is not punishment; it is the condition of your participation. Without action, a boundary remains a request that can be ignored.