In the popular Hindi slapstick comedy movie Welcome, Don Uday Shetty, a primary character, often schools himself, “Control, Uday, control!” whenever he gets too aggressive or rash. While the movie plays his anger for a few laughs and punchlines, losing cool and expressing anger is a common experience and it is definitely not funny. Be it athletes provoking each other on the field or a social media spat, the ones who lose self-control and express anger do so with insults and hostility. And the ones who maintain their cool tend to resolve differences and disputes faster.
“Anger and irritability are among the normal emotions seen in every animal,” says Dr Manu Anand, consultant psychiatrist at Arca Healthcare, Mangaluru. However, he says that how we react to anger and irritability causes aggression. Aggressive behaviour is often accompanied by intentions to harm the other, resulting in loss of communication, peace and happiness. In extreme and unfortunate situations, it could lead to loss of property and sometimes even life.
The roots of aggression
Aggression is a result of dysfunctional brain activity in several brain regions. Dr Jamuna Rajeswaran, head of clinical psychology at the National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences, Bengaluru, explains that these regions are the ventral lateral prefrontal cortex (PFC) and the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC). “These regions broadly support self-regulatory processes, including emotions. Deficits in the function and structure of these regions predict violent behaviour,” she says.
Aggression can be aggravated also by an overactive limbic system and an imbalance in the neurotransmitter levels like glutamate, GABA and serotonin, adds Dr Anand.
To exercise self-control?
Self-control, governed by the PFC, is consciously trying to prevent us from acting on impulses. The PFC keeps our base emotions and whims in check. Dr Anand says this control helps us deal with challenges, planning, problem-solving and decision-making. “It helps in assessing any life situation from various perspectives and taking appropriate and suitable actions.” Aggression begins when self-control stops. It explains why the overarching narrative of aggression is seen as a lack of self-control.
So, the less we act on our impulses, the better we can manage our anger. When we stop giving in to the need to fight with someone and take a step back, we have kept an aggressive response out by practising self-control.
Or not to control?
However, David E Chester, a professor of psychology at the Virginia Commonwealth University, USA, argues otherwise. In a 2023 review paper, he says he investigated this aspect and found that people who exercised too much self-control were also aggressive. These observations point to how too much of anything is never good, and the same holds true for self-control.
“Excess self-control may invite unnecessary burden on ourselves, resulting in stress and stress-related health disorders,” says Dr Anand. He adds that when we try to over-control each aspect of our lives, we tend to fail more than we succeed. This leads to despair, and we start to believe that the failure is due to inadequate self-control, spiralling into a vicious loop leading to anger and aggression.
Several studies have found that too much self-control also causes aggression. This controlled aggression is predominant in behavioural disorders like obsessive-compulsive personality disorder (OCPD) and eating disorders. Dr Rajeswaran observes, “This need for interpersonal control in OCPD can lead to hostility and occasional explosive outbursts of anger at home and work.”
Not losing one’s cool
A 2019 questionnaire-based study looked at individuals who could have psychopathic tendencies. When the scientists looked at these individuals’ brain scans, they found more activity in the prefrontal cortex. These people also had increased levels of self-control. The same areas also happen to be active during aggressive behaviour. These results challenge the idea that a lack of self-control is what causes aggression.
Studies also find that the insula — the brain region involved in feeling upset — becomes more active when provoked. At the same time, areas like the dorsolateral PFC, medial PFC and dorsal ACC, which handle thinking and controlling emotions, also become more active.
The dorsal ACC acts as a ‘neural alarm system’ which works with the PFC to execute self-control. Heightened activity in these regions suggests that people who are prone to aggression may use more self-control when provoked.
Revenge as a cold act
Another facet of aggression is revenge. Often, seeking revenge is an act that involves direct anger rather than immediate anger. It adds to the value of delayed gratification.
Dr Rajeswaran says this covert aggression is a key feature in people with obsessive-compulsive behaviour (OCD) who also have high levels of self-control. “Most individuals with OCD have high moral attitudes, and anything that compromises their rigid value system may induce anger, further fuelling vengeful thoughts, images, and impulses.’’
Nuanced approach
Looking at the nuanced relationship between self-control and aggression can help develop better strategies for treating maladaptive disorders of both. Dr Rajeswaran notes interventions that aim to practise constraint, such as self-control therapy, can help with disorders of emotional dysregulation.
Conversely, in disorders where there is emotional overcontrol, management strategies can aim to bring in flexibility and help the person loosen some overcontrol.
Read more: 5 types of aggression
