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The Aggression Mode

BY PHILLIP WITTMEYER

The Aggression Mode is concerned with initiating action. In this case, it is the person himself who is active. People in this Mode are assertive in every case, and in extreme cases they are "on the attack", or "on the offense" in some way, often in a way that lacks finesse. The manner in which they attack is always shifting and changing as well. This person goes after what he wants with gusto and innovation. His manner is straightforward and direct, right to the point without dancing around it. To those who don't like this, it seems to be blunt. To those who do like it, it seems sharp. At any rate, people in this Mode are generally quick in their conduct. They are driving and insistent about reaching their goals.

In the Positive Pole of +Dynamism, the person is impetuous, forceful, vigorous, and lively. He moves strongly and directly in pursuing his objectives. He acts as if he is impelled by an irresistible force. He is a powerhouse, a dynamo of energy. Because of the strength of this manner of behavior, he regards others not in this Mode as slow and weak. People in this Pole are also spry, sprightly and zippy — full of activity. This does not mean that they have to be busy all the time, for that is the Moving Center to be discussed further on. However, there is a dynamic quality to the way they act, and to what they are.

The Negative Pole is -Belligerence. This describes a person who is combative, contentious, and pugnacious. A person in this Pole acts like he has a "chip on his shoulder", and not just with people, but things — he is ready to fight "at the drop of a hat". He doesn't just go after solutions with vigor as a person in +Dynamism would, he attacks a problem with a competitive manner, jabbing at it. It is as if he is challenging everything and everybody to a duel. One might say he is on a course toward a head-on collision with the world. He lunges and hurtles through life, pushing and shoving, punching and slamming. He deliberately agitates and irritates others, seeming to pick a fight. He thrives on violent behavior, whether his or others. He is the proverbial "bull in the china shop", charging around and breaking everything in his path.

The fear that drives -Belligerence is the fear of not winning, and the fear of weakness. To lose a contest and to show weakness is unacceptable. A person in this Pole acts as if he must be the strongest, the foremost. The way to overcome this is to consider and apply the Positive Pole of the Perseverance Mode, which is +Persistence. Instead of the violent and hostile approach to relationships and situations, learn to handle the energy smoothly and consistently.

The advantage of this Goal is that the person is very energetic for pursuing his goals. His manner lets other people know that they better step aside, because he is coming through. The disadvantage is that there is a tendency not to be consistent in pursuing them. He is always shifting his attack, so he may not get the job done. It is easy for him to get things started, but not so easy to get things done, because in mid-project he may dart off to start some other project.

The Aggression Mode is the Complementary opposite of the Perseverance Mode. An Aggressive person avoids persistent and sustained behavior. He is undisciplined. He does not linger and savor life, but careens around from pillar to post. Often a person in Aggression will change things just for the sake of change. Consistency and regularity irks him or bores him. He avoids routines and despises regulations. This keeps other people guessing, never sure what he will be doing next. Others may consider this type of behavior undependable or unstable. To the person in Aggression, it is just his fear of getting in a rut. No one and no thing is going to tie him down. Whereas Aggressive people attack problems with a sharp instrument, Persevering people defend themselves from problems with a blunt instrument.

The Counterpart of the Aggression Mode is the Dominance Goal. They are both concerned with initiating action. The Goal of Dominance is concerned with initiating action in the exterior world. This person tries to make things happen with other people and other things. On the other hand, the Aggression Mode is concerned with action initiated from the interior world. He is activity within himself.

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Phil Wittmeyer is a longtime Michael student and scholar of the teachings. He can be reached at: wittmeyer@hotmail.com