Frustration Aggression Theory Explained
Why do people sometimes become so Aggressive?
I am sure that you have gone through at least one situation in your life where you have found yourself being excessively aggressive then felt guilty for it later.
I am also sure that you met some people who always seem to be aggressive whatever the situation is. Why are those people still aggressive, and why do you sometimes become aggressive too?
Frustration Aggression Theory
The frustration-aggression theory states that aggression is caused by frustration. When someone is prevented from reaching his target, he becomes frustrated. This frustration can then turn into aggression when something triggers it.
For example, if you failed your final exam, you will become frustrated, But What if someone you barely know told you, “You are such a loser not to pass that exam.” In this case, your stored frustration will surely turn into aggression. Note that the frustration-aggression theory does not explain all types of aggression. Still, it instead focuses on aggression that results from not being able to reach your goals.
Aggressive people need special treatment.
If you found someone acting aggressively, know that behind this aggression is frustration; your goal should be allowing that person to release his feelings of frustration constructively.
Confronting him with the leading causes of his aggression may sometimes be a right solution, but it can also be dangerous with overly aggressive people. Your focus should be on letting him dump his feelings without being aggressive.
Aggression Frustration and Success
You may have now concluded why some people who have type-A personalities become aggressive. They are aggressive because they are frustrated as they didn’t attain their goals yet.
Working for more extended periods of time and working on holidays are clear signs of frustration that results from unmet goals. This is not a bad thing at all, but on the contrary, it’s a healthy way to release the frustration. It’s much better than becoming an aggrieved and short-tempered person.
Frustration and Depression
If frustration was not properly vented, it might turn into depression. Suppose that you wanted to become rich but you couldn’t find a job. If you didn’t find a way to let go of your frustration, the suppressed emotions might turn into depression.
Long-term frustration can be one of the reasons that cause depression. When someone wants to achieve a specific goal but fails to do it for a long time, he might become depressed.
Also, people who are not assertive always feel frustrated due to the daily violation of their rights, which may also result in depression. The bottom line is to find a way to get rid of your frustration so that it doesn’t turn into depression.
Work hard, become assertive, or have faith in God; it doesn’t matter how you do it; all that matters is to find a healthy way to release these suppressed emotions.
Frustration and breakups
One of the main reasons people fail to recover from breakups is feelings of frustration. Limiting beliefs such as “I can’t live without him” or “He was my soul mate” results in frustration after breakups and thus prevented you from recovering.
If you believed that the only way to feel good is to restore your relationship, you would become frustrated. This frustration is then turned into depression, and the person gets stuck in this stage. Learn how to deal with these limiting beliefs, and you will break the whole cycle of false beliefs-frustration-depression.
