Can being aggressive be a good thing?
Wise and measured use of aggression is crucial not only to self-actualization, but at rare vulnerable moments, to our very survival. A balanced relationship with aggression encourages us to speak up when we need to, to take action and hold clear limits in tough situations.
According to Austrian ethologist Konrad Lorenz (1903-1989), aggression is a necessary and inevitable aspect of human nature. Impulses to act aggressively build up in our bodies, like fluid filling a tank.
It serves to preserve and protect the individual. Furthermore, aggression can be used to increase an individual's dominance in their social environment.
Being passive can also mean you repress anger or frustration which may resurface or be expressed disproportionately in other contexts. Conversely, being too assertive (aggressive) can also lead to unhealthy relationships and loss of friendships. It is helpful to consider communication styles as being on a continuum.
First, assertive behavior is typically a positive form of expression, while aggression is a negative form of expression.
Some common synonyms of aggressive are assertive, militant, and self-assertive.
It is important in life to exert & hold your identity and assert yourself if necessary to be heard & be successful --- you really don't need to be aggressive .
Those experiencing rage usually feel the effects of high adrenaline levels in the body. This increase in adrenal output raises the physical strength and endurance levels of the person and sharpens their senses, while dulling the sensation of pain. High levels of adrenaline impair memory.
We all feel angry at times – it's part of being human. Anger is a normal, healthy emotion, which we might experience if we feel: attacked.
Aggressive people tend to come off as hostile or threatening because of the way they talk, speak, and act. They're often very territorial and hard to approach, especially when offering separate ideas. When in disagreement, aggressive people tend to raise their voices or sometimes even resort to threats.
Is aggressive leadership good?
Aggressive leadership can sometimes be harsh in tone that can border on being hostile, creating unnecessary conflict and turmoil. Aggressive leaders are too often poor listeners who take a “my way or the highway” approach to communicating to those around them and are not open to others' opinions.
Aggressive behavior, according to psychologists David Buss and Todd Shackelford, helps humans protect their resources and take new resources from others. A good example is a forest full of game such as deer and elk. The more humans hunt in the forest, the fewer deer and elk each person can eat.
Assertive behavior is what is most often recommended by therapists to use. While being passive may get you secondary gains and being aggressive might push people to give you what you want, you do it at the cost of a relationship.
In dealing with aggression, it is important to respond appropriately. Responding angrily will almost certainly escalate the situation and make it harder to defuse—as the parents of toddlers will almost certainly confirm.
Aggressive Behavior involves expressing your feelings indirectly through insults, sarcasm, labels, put-downs, and hostile statements and actions. Aggressive behavior involves expressing thoughts, feelings, and opinions in a way that violates others' rights to be treated with respect and dignity.
Is aggressiveness in a leader good or bad? The answer is – both. Considered a strength, when associated with a drive for results, a willingness to take risks, and the pursuit of new business, aggressiveness becomes a weakness when it erodes interpersonal relationships.
A person with an aggressive attitude usually approaches issues by making unilateral decisions or giving orders to others. An aggressive person wants to control and believes there is no other way. The deep fear of not being in control is what determines the aggressive behavior.
Signs of Aggression
Physical, like beating, hitting, kicking, or stabbing another person. Damaging property is also a form of physical aggression. Verbal, which may include mocking, name-calling, and yelling. Relational, which is intended to harm another person's relationships.
In fact, a recent study from the University of Montreal presents new findings regarding the matter: aggression is inborn, but a child's environment can either exacerbate or improve that behavior as they age.
To be assertive without coming across as hostile, use "I" statements. Make it a habit to say things like "I think ... " or "I feel .... " Never use aggressive language or phrases like "You never... " or "You always.... " These statements trigger other people, leaving them frustrated, and they shut down conversation.
How do I know if I am aggressive?
With aggressive behaviors, you try to assert control and dominance over the other person. You might be physically, verbally or emotionally aggressive. You could express anger, hostility, intimidation or dominance.
Anger helps us handle emergency situations by providing a quick burst of energy and strength, so we can react to threats of danger. Anger pushes us to reach goals by creating motivation through frustration. In relationships, anger encourages us to address outstanding issues, which facilitates intimacy and growth.
According to Professor Tremblay, the study findings confirm previous research which suggests that aggression begins in the first couple of years of life and reaches a peak between the ages of two and four.
The causes of aggression include instinct, hormonal imbalance, genetics, temperament, nurture, and stress. If there are excessively aggressive people in your life, like a loved one or coworker, you can learn to cope or deal with their behavior effectively.
It could be something as simple as being hungry or tired. Or, maybe something recently happened in your life that has you feeling scared, angry, or stressed out. Mental health struggles can also make you irritable, so if you haven't taken one of our mental health test yet, try that.
Humans can, and do, engage in a wide variety of aggression. However, aggression is not our primary “go to” behavior as successful organisms. There is insufficient evidence to argue that we have evolved a suite of specifically aggressive behaviors to succeed in the world.
Two major types of aggression, proactive and reactive, are associated with contrasting expression, eliciting factors, neural pathways, development, and function. The distinction is useful for understanding the nature and evolution of human aggression.
The three aggression types comprised reactive-expressive (i.e., verbal and physical aggression), reactive-inexpressive (e.g., hostility), and proactive-relational aggression (i.e., aggression that can break human relationships, for instance, by circulating malicious rumours).
Aggression can be direct behaviors such as hitting, kicking, biting, and pushing to name a few. Additionally, aggression can take on an indirect form like teasing, bullying, spreading rumors, name-calling, or ignoring someone.
Aggressive leaders are great at taking charge, making decisions, and being activators. They are great at getting things started and moving people. They are highly productive and can instill this high productivity in teams, especially if they have developed a good strength of collaboration.
Who is the most aggressive leader?
- 4/11. Timur. Reign: 1370-1405. ...
- 5/11. Queen Mary I (aka Bloody Mary) Reign: 1553-1558. ...
- 6/11. Vladimir Lenin. Reign: 1917-1924. ...
- 7/11. Joseph Stalin. Reign: 1922-1953. ...
- 8/11. Adolf Hitler. Reign: 1933-1945. ...
- 9/11. Mao Zedong. Reign: 1949-1976. ...
- BCCL. 10/11. Idi Amin. ...
- 11/11. Augusto Pinochet. Reign: 1973-1990.
Example Sentences
He has a lot of pent-up aggression. behavior that is likely to provoke aggression dangerous dogs showing aggression toward people The government says that it will view any attempt to fly over its territory as an act of aggression.
Yet the red-hot emotion has a positive side, say psychologists who study anger. In studies and in clinical work, they find anger can help clarify relationship problems, clinch business deals, fuel political agendas and give people a sense of control during uncertain times.
The long-term physical effects of uncontrolled anger include increased anxiety, high blood pressure and headache. Anger can be a positive and useful emotion, if it is expressed appropriately. Long-term strategies for anger management include regular exercise, learning relaxation techniques and counselling.
Assertive communication is direct and respectful. Being assertive gives you the best chance of successfully delivering your message. If you communicate in a way that's too passive or too aggressive, your message may get lost because people are too busy reacting to your delivery.
Someone who uses passive aggression may feel angry, resentful, or frustrated, but they act neutral, pleasant, or even cheerful. They then find indirect ways to show how they really feel. Passive aggression isn't a mental illness. But people with mental health conditions may act that way.
But often, passive-aggressive behaviour can be deliberate, whether provoked or not. It's not always a bad thing; passive-aggressive behaviour is a way to retaliate if you're at the wrong end of a power dynamic.
Conventionally, violence is understood to be often driven by negative emotions, such as anger or fear. For example, a person might become aggressive because they were enraged at another person, or they were afraid the other person might hurt them.
Aggression can happen as a natural response to stress, fear, or a sense of losing control. You might also respond with aggression when you feel frustrated, mistreated, or unheard — especially if you never learned how to manage your emotions effectively.
People may act like this because they fear losing control, are insecure, or lack self-esteem . They might do it to cope with stress, anxiety , depression, or insecurity, or to deal with rejection or conflict. Alternatively, they might do it because they have a grudge against a colleague, or feel underappreciated.
What are the 4 types of aggression?
Aggression can be verbal or physical. There are four types of aggressive behavior: accidental, expressive, instrumental, and hostile.
Stand up for yourself and push back.
Express your point of view or needs in a way that is clear and direct. You want to come off as aggressive, not disrespectful. Make sure you have someone's full attention before talking. Talk face-to-face, not to their back.
Anger is a normal feeling and can be a positive emotion when it helps you work through issues or problems, whether that's at work or at home. However, anger can become problematic if it leads to aggression, outbursts, or even physical altercations.
Is aggressiveness in a leader good or bad? The answer is – both. Considered a strength, when associated with a drive for results, a willingness to take risks, and the pursuit of new business, aggressiveness becomes a weakness when it erodes interpersonal relationships.
In its section dealing with ethical traits a person should adopt, the Kitzur Shulchan Aruch states: "Anger is also a very evil trait and it should be avoided at all costs. You should train yourself not to become angry even if you have a good reason to be angry."
- Biting another person or an object.
- Bullying.
- Destroying property.
- Excluding others.
- Gossiping.
- Having difficulty calming yourself down after exerting aggressive behavior.
- Hitting another person or an object.
- Ignoring someone on purpose.
A person with an aggressive attitude usually approaches issues by making unilateral decisions or giving orders to others. An aggressive person wants to control and believes there is no other way. The deep fear of not being in control is what determines the aggressive behavior.
