Aggression is a part of a person that cannot be gotten rid of. This reaction can become both destructive and co-created. And it only depends on us. Let’s talk about the nature of aggression and how to work with it.
The Nature of Aggression
In every human being as a representative of Homo sapiens in one way or another, there is a predisposition to aggression. Its sources go back to man’s animal past, when this model of behavior served a protective function or promoted an attack.
In psychology, aggression started to be paid special attention to after the First World War. For almost half a century, from 1871 until 1914, there were no major wars in Europe; it seemed that brutality was behind us, and humanity had finally begun to live peacefully. But outbreaks of aggression flared up again, World War I coming as a real culture shock to a Europe that had not fought a war for decades.
In terms of biology, aggression was examined by Konrad Lorenz, a Nobel Prize winner in physiology or medicine. The scientist stressed that aggressive behavior is determined by the four basic drives of living beings seeking to survive. Hunger, fear, reproduction, and aggression provide natural selection. The American scientist Edward Wilson noted that aggression is a means of gaining control over resources. Thus, aggression is exacerbated during periods when high population density leads to a shortage of resources. According to paleoanthropologist Richard Leakey and his colleagues, aggression also increased in humans as they became more interested in property and protecting their property.
In 1989, UNESCO adopted the Seville Statement on Violence, which refuted evolutionary scientists’ claims that genetics was the sole cause of aggression. The degree of aggression depends on cultural norms as well as social conditions. For example, high population density associated with a reduction in available resources can provoke aggression.
How Aggression Occurs
The level of aggression depends on the susceptibility of the androgen hormone receptors, which is determined by the length of the CAG sequence in the androgen receptor gene. In turn, the amygdala and posterior hypothalamus, the amygdala, and many other entities are responsible for aggression. When an external factor provokes aggression, signals come to the brain, which activates the well-known “hit” or “run” reaction. Aggression belongs to the first strategy. A person can either show it, suppress it, or direct it in a constructive direction.
Aggression often occurs when personal boundaries are violated in one way or another. This often occurs in the process of communication. For example, when a close relative blames you for betting at 22Bet or trying another hobby you definitely enjoy. Then the person shows either direct aggression (which turns into violence) or passive aggression, striving to suppress anger. There is also self-aggression directed at oneself (intensified self-criticism). Besides, aggression can also arise during perception of the information, which in one way or another can influence the person’s life. Thus, after reading the news, aggression may arise as a reaction to unacceptable events.
How to Deal With Aggression
Laugh
Laughter helps one look at a situation differently. In this way, aggression becomes “playful.” This type of pseudo-aggression does not have any negative motivations and is necessary to show skill and quickness. Playful aggression is seen, for example, in archery, fencing.
Breathe
You’ve heard more than once about taking deep breaths and exhaling to calm down. And it works by virtue of the fact that through breathing, the nervous system comes back to normal. Self-regulation through breathing is one of the primary treatments for anxiety disorders.
One of the main principles of self-regulation breathing is that the exhalations should be longer than the inhalations. For example, on four counts, inhale; on eight counts, exhale.
Exercise
Movement is the easiest way to cope with aggression and direct it in a constructive direction. This is accomplished by decreasing the stress hormones cortisol and adrenaline. Even if aggression hits you in a place where exercising is impossible, try to do vigorous exercise or at least go for a walk.
Transfer Your Emotions to Paper
Saw the news that made you mad? Describe in detail your feelings: what was the cause, why you feel so angry, what the consequences may be, what you are experiencing. In this way, you will partially cope with the initial anger, and then look at the situation more rationally.
Detach Yourself From the Source of the Aggression
Depending on what caused the aggression, move away from that source (perhaps by going out into another room or simply turning off your phone). Try to shift your attention not to the external but to the internal – to your own physical sensations, concentrate on your breathing.