PTypes - Personality Types
PTypes A Correspondence of Psychiatric, Keirsey, and Enneagram Typologies Idiosyncratic Type



Aggressive Personality Type

I hope that the Aggressive Personality Type becomes part of the Creative Commons.


The idealized image of the Aggressive personality type describes persons


Contents


Definition, Synonyms, Analogous

Aggressive

Definition: 1. Inclined to move or act in a hostile fashion. 2. Assertive; bold; enterprising. (AHD)

Synonyms: 1. Attacking, offensive. 2. Militant, assertive, self-assertive, pushing, pushy.

Analogous: 1. Invading, encroaching, trespassing. 2. energetic, strenuous, vigorous: masterful, domineering, imperious: fighting, combating or combative ... (MW, 30)


Character Strengths and Virtues

Attributes of the idealized self

  1. Disposition to command, disposition to dominate, leadership, strength, powerfulness, authoritativeness, responsibleness.
  2. Orderliness, conservatism.
  3. Discipline, self-control, self-restraint, craftiness, shrewdness, benevolence, protectiveness, generosity, liberality.
  4. Purposefulness, goal-directedness, expediency, practicality, pragmatism, disposition to achieve, disposition to accomplish, productiveness.
  5. Bravery, fearlessness, fortitude, toughness.
  6. Energy, activeness, aggressiveness, adventurousness, assertiveness, confidence, competitiveness.


Traits and Behaviors


Passions

Desires/Pleasures

Excessive attachments to limited goods.

"His idealized image, chiefly, is a glorification of the needs which have developed" (Horney, 1950, pg. 277).

power, being boss, dominating others, leadership, command, control, strength, competence, responsibilities, control of groups, fighting battles, confidence, taking responsibility, authority, hierarchical structures, being in charge, discipline, rules of order, expedience, goals, accomplishing objectives, getting the job done, success, action, adventure, asserting oneself physically, competition, competitive sports, winning, conflict, knowing how to take, use, manipulate, and keep power, sex, excitement of the win to come, combat, violence, sense of purpose

Fears/Pains

Excessive aversions to limited evils

submissiveness, weakness, chaos, unclear lines of authority, weak leadership, uncertain responsibilities, undisciplined people, people who do not follow orders and rules, concern for the interests and feelings of others, failure, disobedience of others, compromising, sensitivity, emotions in others, disloyalty, boredom, losing, peace, lack of power, serious competitive threats, defeat, not being in control, submitting to a greater power, relaxing


Beliefs

(Adapted from Oldham)

  • I must dominate (Oldham, 346).
  • I must dominate in relationships, in the home, in all the groups to which I belong, and at work (346).
  • I must be in control (346).
  • I must be in charge (346).
  • I must direct all activities (346).
  • I must shape the environment.
  • Power is the most important thing in life.
  • I hate everything which is not in myself (Mailer, 164).
  • The interests and feelings of others cannot be allowed to interfere with the accomplishment of my goals (Oldham, 347).
  • I should always be the one to give the orders and establish the rules (347).
  • Everyone who is under me should always do things my way (348).
  • I have to be a strict disciplinarian (348).
  • I know the best for everyone 348).
  • If people under me don't do things my way, they are being disloyal.
  • I'm used to being chief and I can't tolerate any challenges to my authority (348).
  • If anyone challenges my authority, I must punish them for their disloyalty and reassert my control (349).
  • Parents should train their children to be tough, courageous, and ambitious (349).
  • I expect my children to obey me without question (351).
  • I am totally dedicated to my work and I won't be deterred by family life or needs for health and recreation (352).
  • I require an intensely competitive, dog-eat-dog environment in which there can be only one winner (352).
  • You can't be squeamish; you have to be ready to sacrifice others to accomplish your goals (352).
  • The end is always more important than the means (347).
  • Work (indeed, all of life) is strategic combat, a struggle to get and to keep power (353).
  • It's always the objective that counts; whatever means are expedient are justified (353).
  • I'm less concerned with following the "right" or "honorable" course as with finding a practical, efficient, effective solution (354).
  • I should be the one to create structure and organization, and plan strategy, because I'm the only one who can see the big picture (354).
  • I focus on results, not feelings (355).
  • I must function at high stimulation levels at all times, otherwise I get bored and don't know what to do with myself (355).
  • I cannot tolerate lack of power, serious competitive threats, or defeat or failure (355).
  • I must in all cases be working with and around other people (356).
  • I cannot tolerate submitting to a greater power (356).


Ego Defense Mechanisms

Self-glorification requires deception.


Relationships

Parenting

Good/Bad Matches

Good

Bad

Possible



Work


Management Style

Careers


Self


Real World


Emotions


Self-Control


Self-Improvement

Areas that may need improvement

Other Areas of interest


Disorder

Obsessive-Compulsive Personality Disorder


Noteworthy Examples

Bella Abzug, Alexander the Great, Bruno Bettelheim, Al Capone, Fidel Castro, Jeffrey Dahmer, Bette Davis, Hans Eysenck, Betty Friedan, Indira Gandhi, G.I. Gurdjieff, Saddam Hussein, Lyndon B. Johnson, Jim Jones, Martin Luther King Jr, Norman Mailer, Mao Zedong, Golda Meir, Napoléon Bonaparte, Pablo Picasso, Mario Puzo, Frank Sinatra, Mickey Spillane, Joseph Stalin, Michael H. Stone.


References

The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language (1981, c.1969). William Morris, Ed. Boston: Houghton Mifflin.

Aaron T. Beck, Arthur Freeman, and Associates (1990). Cognitive Therapy of Personality Disorders. New York : Guilford Press.

Aaron T. Beck, Arthur Freeman, Denise D. Davis, (2004). Cognitive Therapy of Personality Disorders. 2nd. edition. New York: Guilford.

Merriam-Webster (1984). Webster's New Dictionary of Synonyms: A Dictionary of Discriminated Synonyms with Antonyms and Analogous and Contrasted Words. Springfield, MA: Merriam-Webster.

John M. Oldham and Lois B. Morris (1995). The New Personality Self-Portrait: Why You Think, Work, Love and Act the Way You Do. New York: Bantam.

David Shapiro (1965). Neurotic Styles. New York: Basic Books.





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