Boundaries
The limits you set on what others can ask of you — and the dominant pop-psych concept of the 2020s.
Origin
The term has clinical roots in family systems theory (Salvador Minuchin, 1970s) describing the lines between subsystems in a family. Henry Cloud and John Townsend's Christian self-help book Boundaries (1992) sold millions and brought the word into mainstream English. The 2010s wellness internet — Nedra Glover Tawwab's Set Boundaries, Find Peace (2021) was a #1 bestseller — turned 'boundaries' into the dominant frame for managing relationships, work, family, and dating.
Modern usage
Standard in therapy talk, group chats, and HR conversations. 'That crosses a boundary,' 'I had to set a boundary,' 'no is a complete sentence.' Often used precisely (defining what you will and won't tolerate) and often misused (announcing how others must behave, which is a demand, not a boundary). The backlash against overuse has produced its own genre of essays.
In the wild
She set a boundary about Sunday calls and her family folded immediately.— common usage
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