Psychology of Aggression

The above-mentioned self-control (also called self-regulation) is a very strong weapon in the case of aggressive impulses such as frustration, provocation or other unpleasant situations. Nevertheless, it is not easy to curb aggression and alters the action to nonviolent for reaching a certain goal although it plays a central role in nonviolent reaction. Here, the time factor is important, because the longer the self-control is activated the faster the limits are depleted. ‘So it is obvious that self-control is more complex than anticipated – it all depends on an individual´s inner resource for restraints. Baumeister wrote about it:

“The immediate, proximal cause of violence is the collapse of these inner restraining forces. This point is crucial, because it means that many of our efforts to understand violence are looking at the question the wrong way. To produce violence, it is not necessary to promote it actively. All that is necessary is to stop restraining or preventing it. Once the restraints are removed, there are plenty of reasons for people to strike at each other.”[1]

In this regard, Kobasa showed that some individuals show remarkable resiliency to cope with difficult situations in their lives.[2] Kobasa identified three factors that are typical for such individuals:

• change: such individuals perceive it as a challenge and a natural process, they show readiness to adjust and do not perceive it as a threat
  
• commitment: such individuals believe that what they are doing is important and useful
  
• control: belief in their inner strength

But resiliency against aggressive behaviour is learned through tough experiences. Another important feature in nonviolent solving of conflicts is ripeness, which is a motivation to reach an agreement by nonviolent means.[3]

A very interesting Indian concept is so called Anasakti concept: unlike members of western societies who tend to enjoy reached goals, the concept of Anasakti teaches a person to detach from the consequences of the achieved goal. It is also a highly effective therapeutic approach at the same time, as most of people´s problems are connected to the will to achieve a goal or to the fear of not achieving it. Nevertheless, because of a religious background, this concept is not suitable for psychological research.