The tension that hides behind aggression is the tension between the Id and the Ego. In childhood the id-- the primitive, gratification-seeking part of our psyche--dominates: We want it all our own way and we want it now. As we mature the ego becomes stronger and mediates between the blind internal id and the forces of reality in the world beyond. The ego is the repository of all those qualities that separate us from animals: the ability to defer immediate gratification for the long-term good, to plan for the future, to see the world through someone else's eyes-and so to control our anger." Sociological arguments present more or less the same viewpoint in simpler terms. Theorists of social control say that, because of the self-evident attractions of doing wrong, we all naturally tend toward selfishness and consequently aggression. But society requires that each of us give up a little of our selfish freedom in return for safety an harmony. .
For learning theorists, aggression is simply a behavior and must be governed by the same principle as any other behavior: reinforcement. There are many rewards in our society for aggression. The most obvious rewards for aggression are material ones. Example, if a child sees another child playing with a toy that he wants and the other child is unwilling to share the toy, then through the force of aggression the child can get the toy. There are also social rewards for aggression. Example, making others fear and respect you for what you can do to them. Another reward of aggressive behavior is that it removes an unpleasant state. One very good point that Anne Campbell makes in her book is "For some men the reward for behaving aggressively is a boost to their shaky sense of self-worth, since it is a public demonstration of their manliness, about which they have profound doubts. But behind their bravado is often a deep-seated sense of fear and vulnerability.
