Why People Are Aggressive – 10 Reasons

Look around you, and you will discover that some people you encounter are aggressive. Some are almost always aggressive, while others display aggressiveness on certain occasions and situations.

Do you sometimes wonder why people are aggressive instead of being tactful and considerate?

Why are some of the people aggressive? Let’s begin by defining this character trait.

What Is Aggressiveness?

It is a behavior characterized by impoliteness, inconsiderateness, intolerance, rudeness, and often, by speaking in a loud voice. This behavior lacks tact and finesse, usually provokes anger and hostility, and creates stress and fear in other people.

Aggressiveness alienates people, creates anger, and leads to broken relations, loss and unhappiness. It might also generate animosity and estrangement.

Aggressiveness often manifests verbally; sometimes, it might turn into physical aggression, which could be dangerous and harm both parties.

A person displaying this behavior insists on his or her opinions and does not listen to others. He or she is often self-centered and does not care about others’ rights.

Do not confuse assertiveness with aggression. These are two completely different things. Assertiveness considers the rights of others and is a sign of inner strength, self-esteem, and confidence.

10 Reasons Why People Display Aggressiveness?

There are various reasons why people display aggressiveness.

1. Sometimes, people become carried away during a discussion, a debate, or an argument. They raise their voice, try to force their opinions on others, and do not allow anyone to talk or reply.
2. A person who feels insecure and lacks self-esteem might instinctively behave in an aggressive manner to cover their insecurity, lack of inner strength, and absence of self-esteem.
3. Often, criticism awakens aggressive behavior. This could be accounted for the anger caused by the criticism.
4. Feelings of inferiority might also be the reason for this behavior.
5. Anger, resentment and dissatisfaction can trigger this behavior.
6. People become aggressive when they feel threatened by other people. It is an instinctive behavior aimed to protect oneself from the threat.
7. If you have been living in an aggressive environment or encountered this behavior from an early age, you may instinctively behave in this way.
8. Sometimes, people who are easy-going and tactful might exhibit aggressiveness in certain situations.
9. Certain people become aggressive when encountering weak or helpless people. For some reason, weakness and helplessness in others trigger rude and bullying behavior.
10. Stress, nervousness, or weak health can sometimes trigger aggressive behavior.

Whenever possible, avoid this behavior. It might seem strange to you, but the opposite behavior, being considerate, tactful, and calm, is more helpful.

Staying calm and not raising your voice shows inner strength and confidence and will earn you more respect from other people.

Books that Can Help

A calm mind and a certain degree of discipline and detachment are the antidote to aggressiveness. These skills can be developed through various simple techniques, as taught in the books:
“Calm Down the Nonstop Chatter of Your Mind”
“Strengthen Your Willpower and Self Discipline”
“Emotional Detachment for Happier life”.

These same skills would help you stay calm and unperturbed emotionally when people treat you harshly or try to hurt your feelings.