by Chris Shugart
The right kind of aggression leads to success and happiness. The wrong kind gets you in deep trouble. Here's how to balance the scale.
Back in my middle-school football days, the cheerleaders would chant: Be aggressive! Be be aggressive! It made sense in the context of a game. The message? Play hard and win.
But aggression is a double-edged sword. In the right setting, aggression is good. Be aggressive in pursuing your fitness goals. Be aggressive in your career. You can even aggressively work to be a great husband and father.
On the flipside, aggression can make you a violent criminal, stupidly impulsive, or, at the very least, a total twat-waffle socially. In science, there are two types of negative aggression:
- Reactive Aggression: This is emotionally driven aggression, usually anger and the inability to control it. Reactively aggressive people lash out verbally and physically, especially under stress. They have short fuses. This form of aggression is linked to heightened amygdala activity and reduced prefrontal cortex regulation in the brain.
- Proactive Aggression: This type of aggression is cold, deliberate, and premeditated. It's goal-oriented, meaning the aggressor is seeking an outcome, like power, control, and material gain. Think predatory bullies and criminals.
So, we have good aggression and two types of bad aggression. Along with environmental factors, both kinds of aggression are influenced by, surprisingly, hormones and diet. But probably not in the way you're thinking.
Increasing Good Aggression
Despite an abundance of evidence to the contrary, most people still think testosterone is linked to the bad types of aggression. But multiple studies and meta-analyses show the relationship between testosterone levels and "bad" aggression is nuanced. It's a weak link.
Some studies found that men with high-normal testosterone might have slightly more hostile thoughts, but these thoughts seldom lead to overt acts. They remain in control. Other studies show a slight increase in risk-taking behavior, but risk-taking isn't always negative. Most studies only show a link to "positive" aggression. Higher-T men are more competitive, and the hormone actually promotes prosocial behavior.
Low-T men, however, are typically more irritable and easily triggered. For example, men with low testosterone may exhibit short-tempered responses or reduced patience in social settings, resembling anti-social behavior.
So, how do you increase "good" aggression? Make sure your testosterone levels are up to snuff. Get tested and take TRT if needed.
If your T levels are low-normal and you're feeling a loss of positive aggression, bump up to high-normal by taking a natural testosterone booster, like Longjack. Just be sure to use enough of the proven form (LJ100) in the right delivery system. Biotest Omega-Man (Buy at Amazon) checks all the boxes.
Decreasing Bad Aggression
Reactive and proactive aggression are bad news. But a new meta-analysis involving almost 4000 people found that both are significantly reduced by taking fish oil. Potential mechanisms include omega-3's role in improving brain function, reducing inflammation, and modulating neurotransmitter systems linked to impulse control and emotional regulation.
We're talking about a roughly 30% reduction in negative aggression: physical, verbal, and relational. And fish oil seems to work on everyone, from overly aggressive kids to convicts.
In short, getting enough omega-3 fatty acids helps keep you calm, clear, stable, and in control ā all indicators of power.
The studies in the meta-analysis used varying amounts of fish oil, but they averaged out to 1180 mg of combined EPA and DHA per day. Our fish oil supplement contains more than double that, so you're covered. Take 2-3 softgels daily of Flameout (Buy at Amazon).
Aggression is a double-edged sword. But if you take care of your testosterone and omega-3 needs, you'll wield it mightily.
Reference
- Liu, S., Raine, A., Venables, P. H., et al. (2024). Effects of omega-3 supplementation on aggression: A meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Aggression and Violent Behavior, University of Pennsylvania.