Key Takeaways
- Anger is a psychological state of mind occurring as a result of unachievable goals, while aggression is a behavioral result of anger and violence is a physical manifestation of anger and aggression.
- Anger can be used in a positive way if properly managed; aggression results in destructive behavior and violence results in heightened violent and destructive outcomes.
- Anger and aggression are psychological situations where one feels frustration or dissatisfaction, and violence is another manifestation of aggressive behavior that results from anger.
Anger, aggression, and violence can all have significant impacts on an individual’s life and society as a whole. These three situations are interconnected, with anger being a normal human emotion that motivates us to act, aggression being a result of escalated anger associated with physically harmful behavior, and violence being the physical manifestation of harsh behavior derived from both anger and aggression. Although these terms are often used interchangeably, they have differences that make them important to manage uniquely.
What is Anger?
Anger is a normal human emotion that can result from emotional or psychological dissatisfaction, displeasure, or irritation. This can happen for various reasons such as inability to achieve targets, social criticisms, threats, and frustration. Anger can also be a secondary response to feeling sad, lonely, or frightened. If anger is not controlled, it can create destructive and aggressive behavior that can undermine a person’s quality of life and create problems in maintaining interpersonal relationships in society.
What is Aggression?
Aggression is defined as behavior intended to harm another individual who does not wish to be harmed. Aggressive behavior can range from physical abuse to verbal abuse and involves both emotional and physical harm inflicted on another person. Aggressive behavior violates social boundaries, and many people use anger as an excuse to behave aggressively. Aggression can also lead to self-destruction.
What is Violence?
Violence refers to aggression that has extreme physical harm, such as injury or death, as its goal. Many violent acts can be identified as aggressive, but acts intended to cause extreme physical damage, such as murder, assault, rape, and robbery, can be categorized as violent acts. Violence can be considered the extreme reactive form of aggression.
Similarities Between Anger, Aggression, and Violence
- All can be categorized as arising from psychological or emotional instability of a person.
- All can result in destructive outcomes if not properly managed.
- Uncontrollable escalation of anger can result in aggression and violence.
Difference Between Anger, Aggression, and Violence
The root cause of anger can be frustration, injustice, or fear, while aggression results from escalated anger and other mental health issues, and violence can result from anger and other malicious intentions. Anger can be used in a positive way if properly managed, aggression results in destructive behavior, and violence results in heightened violent and destructive outcomes.
In summary, anger and aggression are psychological situations where one feels frustration or dissatisfaction, and violence is another manifestation of aggressive behavior that results from anger. The difference between anger, aggression, and violence lies in their root causes and the intensity of their eventual outcomes.
