Aggression is a manifestation of fear, but fear is often hidden. By learning to recognize and manage it, it is possible to reduce aggressive behaviors.
Last update: Augusts 30, 2021
In most cases, aggression is a manifestation of fear. In fact, it is an evolutionary mechanism, triggered by situations perceived as threatening. In some cases, it becomes a behavioral model kept active even in the absence of stimuli that justify it.
It is often not easy to recognize the link between aggressive behavior and the underlying fear. It is therefore not surprising that many of these behaviors are socially accepted, as they are considered a manifestation of assertiveness or efficiency. However, such manifestations are more frequently destructive or self-destructive.
When aggression is due to fear, fear acts as a sort of veil that prevents you from seeing what's behind. But if this fear were faced and resolved, aggressive behaviors would no longer need to exist.
"The person with aggressive traits is a frightened person with serious self-esteem problems, who needs help."
-Nuria Gou-
Aggression as a manifestation of fear
The idea that aggression may be a manifestation of fear may seem unusual to some; at least until the topic is analyzed in depth. In principle, aggressive behavior is governed by the instinct of self-preservation. In the human being, this instinct does not act exclusively in life-threatening circumstances, but also in situations that, in one way or another, compromise the integrity of the ego.
In the first instance, we tend to react to physical threats through fear and aggression. For example, if one person tries to hit another, that person will most likely react with amazement, but also with anger. Instinct predisposes us to fight or flight. The brain gives us only a few seconds to evaluate and choose between one and the other alternative. But in both cases, an extra dose of energy is needed.
Likewise, we also respond aggressively in the face of symbolic threats, which is entirely natural and positive. In these cases, there is a direct attack and a manifest threat to the sense of personal dignity, the social role or symbolic place it occupies. This is where self-preservation operates, and it is good that this is the case. Again, fear and anger are intertwined. With the result of a great variety of possible answers, depending on the intensity of one or the other.
The faces of fear
What has just been illustrated describes the typical situations in which the role of aggressive behaviors is very clear. However, as already mentioned, the scenarios are not always so obvious. The idea of ​​"fear" and "threat" takes many forms in the minds of human beings. In fact, it is a consequence of the complexity of our psychological universe.
For example, behind the orders of a furious boss hides the fear that manifests itself in aggressive behavior. At first glance, the boss occupies a position of power and shouldn't feel threatened by his subordinates. However, that's right. The threat, in this case, comes from the fear that his power will be challenged. Deep down, he is unsure of his position and expresses it through aggression.
Fear also underlies aggressive behaviors that arise from frustration. For example, when you fail to complete a task, a sense of frustration emerges and with it anger. In this case, fear takes the form of insecurity. The questioning of one's competence provokes a defensive reaction that results in aggression.
How does the aggressive personality arise?
Having established that aggression is a manifestation of fear, it is good to know that it is possible to manage emotions in such a way as to defuse this automatic reaction. This is a very important aspect, especially for people who tend to become aggressive when reality conflicts with their expectations.
Usually, in these cases, it is the education received in childhood that has a certain influence. Parents foster these behaviors when, for example, they react with anger to a mistake or a lack of their children. On the one hand, they reinforce fear in them, and on the other hand, they transmit a negative behavioral pattern to them.
Both the sense of failure and insecurity are causes of great suffering in those affected. In both cases, fear is involved, which is fought by cultivating tolerance for frustration. Likewise, aggressive behaviors tend to subside when the nature of the fear behind them is understood.
