Summary: A new study contests the belief that aggression stems from poor self-control. Instead, it suggests that aggression is often a deliberate, controlled act, inflicted to maximize retribution.
This finding, based on meta-analysis of multiple psychology and neurology studies, contradicts the traditional approach of treating violent tendencies by boosting self-control. It implies that such interventions may even enable some people to better execute their aggressive instincts.
Key Facts:
- Aggression does not necessarily arise from poor self-control. Instead, it can be a calculated act of retribution, requiring self-discipline to carry out effectively.
- Evidence suggests that self-control training programs do not necessarily reduce violent tendencies.
- Research indicates that the brain’s prefrontal cortex, a center of self-control, shows increased activity during aggression, further debunking the association between poor self-control and aggression.
Personally, I find the above statement to be very interesting, before I became aware of how ASPD affects my life in a negative way, I would often intend to appear more angered than I actually was in order to achieve some end goal.
Presently, I see my anger as stemming from a lack of control over my emotions and thoughts.
That being said, I cannot say that I am always the master of my domain so I still find this article worth a little bit of light reading.
Lundy Bancroft has said in his book about abusers titled “Why does he do that?” that if a person exhibits self-control in most of their life yet is aggressive/ violent then that person is choosing to be aggressive/ violent in that situation.
The book can downloaded for free at https://archive.org/details/LundyWhyDoesHeDoThat/page/n3/mode/2up