Aggressive And Competitive People: What Is Behind This Profile?

All of us, in some way, are forced to compete in life. However, there is a particularly harmful and problematic profile in many of our work environments: it is competitive and aggressive people. They are those men and women who yearn to grow in the company violating rights, manipulating and creating climates as stressful as they are complex for psychological health.

Perhaps more than one face comes to mind now, more than one situation experienced. Somehow, this type of behavior is seen in different environments : in schools, universities, and even among our family and groups of friends. There is always someone with an innate need to grow, to impress others, to take every possible medal.

While it is true that competitiveness is yet another factor in the human personality, there are those who take it to the extreme. Every one of us is undoubtedly under pressure to compete. We do this when we play a sport, when we go for a job interview, and even when we try to win someone we care about.

We all need to be the best at some point. The way we do this and the mechanisms we use say a lot about us and, above all, about our psychological profile. We will see more data below.

What is behind the personality of aggressive and competitive people?

If we have to deal with one or more competitive and aggressive people, the feeling we will have will always be the same: anxiety.

The best thing in these cases is not to lose your cool and not fall into their game. This basically means that it’s not worth getting carried away by its extreme competitive dynamics, as the anxiety will intensify even further.

Let’s see, however, what’s behind this personality type.

lack of self-esteem

Lack of self-esteem manifests itself in countless ways, and many of them give rise to very harmful behavior patterns. Competitive people need notoriety at almost all times to experience a sense of power. For this, they do not hesitate to disrespect others to achieve goals and thus reinforce their image.

On the other hand, these men and women live in a state of constant hypervigilance. They compare themselves every second with those around them,  and if they notice that someone stands out more than they do, they’ll do everything they can to surpass them and gain an advantage.

“Black or White” Thinking Model

The “black or white” thinking model characterizes people with a rigid and uncompromising mindset. The one where your life translates into winning or losing, having or not having, you’re with me or you’re against me.

Studies such as the one carried out at the University of Rochester, New York, indicate that these people do not take into account inherent factors such as sociability, empathy, a sense of cooperation, etc.

Narcissism or psychopathic personality in competitive and aggressive people

Competitive and aggressive people can show, in some cases, a psychopathic personality. The fact that they focus only on their own benefit, that they do not hesitate to resort to lying, manipulation, abuse and intimidation, can perfectly outline this psychological disorder.

However, it should be noted that this is not common. Most of the time we are faced with a narcissistic personality that seeks visibility, validation and admiration. For this, do not hesitate to sabotage the rights of others to reach the top.

What can we do about competitive and aggressive people?

The effect competitive and aggressive people create in a work environment is immense. The weather deteriorates, the pressure to compete intensifies and stress appears,  as well as that progressive wear that so affects our psychological balance. To avoid this situation and protect yourself, these ideas are worth reflecting on.

• If you decide to compete, don’t do more than you can handle. Having someone highly competitive in an environment leads to others having to compete as well. If you choose this option, set a limit for yourself. There must always be a boundary where you can take care of your physical and psychological health. If the aggressive competitor, for example, chooses to work overtime, see if that option is right for you.
• Protect your work. Another aspect that must be taken into account is the bad acts that aggressive and competitive people tend to do. They will not hesitate, for example, in appropriating your work, knowing your access codes, breaking into your e-mail, manipulating others to turn against you… These are aspects that we must know to protect ourselves.
• Obtain information and notify management of malpractice. This is certainly another factor to consider. Very competitive people with an aggressive profile do not hesitate to carry out illegal practices. These tricks can cause the entire organization to have a negative image. Therefore, it is important to have evidence and notify superiors.

Finally, we know that these situations are, for the most part, complex. It is not easy to deal with this type of person, but in any case, we must always protect our integrity.

Competitiveness in any area of ​​our lives makes us grow when it is respectful  and does not lead to dynamics contaminated by aggression, humiliation or boycotts.