What destructiveness is and what are the reasons for its existence was first explained by S. Freud, proposing the theory of the desire for death. From the point of view of this theory, destructive behavior is behavior that is different from normal; it is aimed at self-destruction and, as a result, entails a deterioration in the individual’s quality of life.
Definition of destruction in psychology
Destruction is, in psychology, a person’s desire to behave destructively towards himself and the world around him. It becomes the norm for a destructive person to act disrespectfully and disdainfully towards the foundations, ways and laws of society.
Such a person tries with all his might to express protest through actions or words. According to psychologists, destructive behavior is, to one degree or another, characteristic of the majority of people, but it manifests itself especially acutely during difficult and critical periods of life.
It is for this reason that destruction is typical for many adolescents, when during puberty the picture of their world completely changes and the desire to rebel and protest becomes more intense than ever.
Psychologists distinguish 2 types of human behavior - constructive and destructive, or, more simply, creative and unacceptable. An abnormal destructive line of behavior causes censure from society and is not approved by it.
Sometimes a person who behaves destructively can shock the public with his inappropriate actions. Destruction, manifested in extreme forms, can be considered a pathological deviation.
A destructive behavioral model is characterized by a number of features:
- negatively assessed by most people;
- causes damage both to the person himself and to the environment;
- does not meet social and public expectations;
- associated with the destructive orientation of the individual, his personal negative life attitudes;
- often manifests itself as a reaction to an atypical situation;
- develops as a result of social maladjustment.
Destructive behavior can be directed both at an external object (conflicts, fights, damage to property) and at oneself (alcohol, drug use, suicidal behavior).
Destructiveness in childhood
Psychologist Alfred Adler was the first to study destructive behavior in children and classify possible motives.
Power struggle
Every child strives to show his strength and try to pull the veil of power over himself.
Some do this passively, and after mom says: “Do your homework” or “Wash the dishes,” they simply do not follow these instructions. Others immediately aggressively show their position: “I don’t want to, I won’t.”
In such a situation, parents should explain what the consequences of non-compliance and disobedience will be. Let your son or daughter take responsibility (what is that?) for their actions and decide what to do.
To attract attention
If a child constantly pulls at his parents at home, on the street, and in the store, and also annoys teachers by frequently leaving the classroom during class or talking loudly, then these are all ways to attract attention. It's obvious that he's missing.
Parents should devote more time to their children. Not only when you need to criticize them, but also in a positive way. And if the child whines: “Pay attention! Play now!”, then you should say: “Okay, in 10-15 minutes, when I’m free.”, and not run away immediately, so that this does not become a mechanism for manipulation.
Revenge
If children don’t like how they are treated, they will take revenge in a variety of ways: calling people names, lying, stealing, painting the walls or their mother’s favorite book, or even hitting.
In such situations, it is better to consult a psychotherapist. Most likely, the parents cannot establish a trusting relationship, and they themselves show initial anger. Therefore, we need a specialist and an outside perspective.
Demonstration of insolvency
The child does not believe in the success of completing tasks and instructions. Therefore, he skips school and tutors, does not want to go to the blackboard and starts a scandal on this basis, lies.
Most likely, the reason is constant criticism and an authoritarian method of education, which needs to be changed immediately. Such children need to be supported in all their endeavors, praised and given attention when spending time together.
Why does a destructive behavior pattern arise?
Most psychologists agree that a child adopts a destructive model of behavior from his family experience. By the age of 4-5, the little person has acquired enough experience and knowledge that will guide him in later life.
Based on what this experience was like, the manifestation of destruction to a greater or lesser extent will depend.
If a child has seen a constructive (creative) model of behavior at home since childhood, where all family members take care of each other and solve problems together, then he will have a more stable psyche, and the risks of destructive behavior are minimal.
In an unfavorable family environment, when a child sees violence, alcohol, drug use, and aggression at home, the risks of this behavior disorder are high.
Some experts note that destruction can be a consequence not only of being in a dangerous social situation in the early years, but also manifest itself in children from apparently prosperous families, where they may have been disliked and were too strict and demanding with them.
Such children feel helpless and alienated throughout their lives, and these emotions find outlet in destructive behavior.
In this case, the condition, both in the first and second cases, can be aggravated in the presence of some additional provoking factors:
- addictions of the individual;
- his public indifference;
- lack of adequate punishment for the offenses committed;
- social and personal life disorder.
The destructive model of behavior has 2 main vectors of direction:
- to the outside world - vandalism, terrorism, violence, aggression towards people and animals;
- on the inner world - consumption of psychotropics, leading an immoral lifestyle, attempts to inflict injuries on oneself, leading to death.
The extreme form of manifestation of external destruction is murder, and internal destruction is suicide.
Causes
The problem of various variations of destructiveness has been relevant at all times due to the frequency of its occurrence and negative impact. Today there are a lot of theoretical views about the destructive standard of behavior and its genesis.
Human destructiveness leads to many problems in daily life. By such behavior, people deprive themselves of health, success, and love. It arises, as a rule, from the desire to feel comfort. It is considered a unique defense mechanism, the origins of which are deeply rooted in childhood.
One of the most significant mental dangers is the failure to satisfy the important need for confidential and personal communication. It has been established that it is the dissatisfaction of the described need that leads to an imbalance in children’s reactions to the interaction of the environment with them, manifestations of aggressiveness and deviations.
More often prone to destructiveness:
– teenagers suffering from increased anxiety, focused on negative experiences, prone to depression, or having serious mental or physical illnesses;
– teenagers who consider themselves to blame for difficult situations that arise with loved ones;
– teenage girls with love conflicts.
Among the reasons for a destructive behavioral response, one can highlight oppression - an attempt to force a person to do something beyond his desire, which gives rise to resistance, which is external, when generally accepted norms are violated (violation of discipline, disobedience), and internal, when there is a withdrawal from interaction, self-flagellation, auto-aggression.
In addition to the above factors, personality destructiveness can arise due to the following reasons:
– mental disorders, as well as physical health disorders that arise suddenly and irrevocably, due to which individuals no longer have any sense in further following the established rules;
– financial difficulties;
– problems in interpersonal interaction (conflict, rejection by the team, rejection by society, unpopularity, alienation);
– discomfort when being in society (difficulties in communicating with loved ones, failures, minor quarrels);
– the need to make significant decisions at the stage of childhood;
– pedagogical errors (exceeding teacher authority, depriving children of personal incentives, punishments that humiliate the student’s personality, problematic relationships between the student’s parents and the teaching staff, between the student and the teacher);
– shortcomings of family education (overprotection, excessive manifestation of parental love or, on the contrary, its complete absence, indifference of parents, shifting responsibility for raising a child to the school, family conflicts);
– psychotraumatic situations (death of loved ones, divorce, moving);
– failed socialization.
Factors that provoke deviant behavior also include the following:
– professional failures, when a person feels his own inferiority, inability to meet the set requirements, when an individual’s self-esteem and reputation are destroyed, when there is a biased attitude towards him;
– an increase in the number of events that are of great significance for a person and affect his safety;
– drunkenness or drug intoxication;
– an increase in the number of contradictory information.
The basis of various deviations in behavioral patterns and illegal acts is often the desire for self-affirmation, situationally determined motivations, motives associated with imitation, suggestion, and impulsiveness.
Characteristic signs and symptoms of destruction
Destruction is a special destructive behavior in psychology that is demonstrated by an individual, wanting to attract attention and conveying to those around him that generally accepted morality means nothing to him.
Distinctive signs of such behavior are:
- causing material damage, intentional damage to property and other people's belongings;
- emotional coldness, alienation;
Destruction in psychology is determined by emotional coldness and alienation. - creating a real danger to the life and health of one’s own or other people;
- hostility, inability and unwillingness to smooth out conflicts, deliberately provoking them;
- purposeful destruction of the usual way of relationships in the family and at work;
- aggression and cruelty towards other people, animals, nature.
Symptoms indicating the risks of developing and displaying destructive behavior are:
- autism, detachment;
- maladjustment (difficulties in building communication connections);
- inadequacy;
- low or completely absent motivation, interest in anything;
- lack of effectiveness.
Types of destructive behavior
According to one classification, destructive behavior is divided into 2 types:
- deviant – different from generally accepted ethical and moral standards enshrined in society;
- delinquent – going beyond not only generally accepted values at the everyday level, but also violating existing laws. In this case, in addition to public censure, an individual with a destructive behavioral disorder may be punished procedurally under administrative or criminal charges.
According to another classification, destruction is divided according to the type of direction:
| Antisocial | Against the public |
| Suicidal | Against yourself |
| Addictive | Arising from addiction |
| Fanatical | It occurs among some representatives of religious communities |
| Narcissistic | When a person, confident in his superiority, considers himself entitled to neglect other people |
Forms of behavior and their description
Destruction finds different expressions in forms of behavior. This depends on established communications with society and the degree of socialization of the individual.
In psychology, the following forms of destructive behavior are distinguished:
- socio-psychological maladaptation - a person considers himself to have the right to neglect generally accepted moral norms;
- radical adaptation - expressed in attempts to change the world, challenge it;
- hyper-adaptation - develops when set goals and objectives are unattainable;
- conformist adaptation - characterized by submission to any norms proposed by society, even if they are destructive;
- deviant adaptation is motivational behavior that goes beyond the boundaries of what is permitted.
Destructive cult
The concepts of a destructive sect and a murderous sect are often used as synonyms for a destructive cult. Often a destructive cult is used as a basis in many sects of a totalitarian nature. of totalitarian sects are classified as destructive their actions forcing their adherents to commit murders and suicides, forcing them to commit self-mutilation.
In the West, such a definition appeared quite a long time ago - back at the end of the 19th century. In Russia at that time, this term was not used either officially or in journalism, despite the presence of clearly destructive sects.
Since the 18th century, such destructive cults were known, sporadically widespread among the peasantry, such as eunuchs, khlysty, etc. In Russian society, the concept of a “destructive sect” appeared in the 1990s, when numerous “prophets” and “saints” poured into the vast expanses of the post-Soviet space, creating various religious associations.
The main signs of a destructive cult are the implementation of powerful psychological pressure on a person’s personality, the complete subordination of his will. A variety of methods and factors can be used as elements to influence the psycho-emotional state of an adherent - group emotional worship; drugs; sex; limiting contacts with the outside world. In the Russian Federation, the activities of destructive sects are prosecuted by law.
Destructive conflict - what is it?
A destructive conflict is an extreme degree of tension in a relationship in which one or both parties do not seek to find any common ground and resolve the differences that have arisen.
Destructive conflicts are destructive and do not lead to effective interaction, finding a compromise or making decisions more or less satisfactory to both parties.
The opposite concept is a constructive conflict, in which opponents reasonably believe that a compromise will be more beneficial than prolonged disputes, bickering, and even more so physical influence, and strive to come to a common denominator as soon as possible.
There is also another form of behavior in conflict situations - conformism.
With this behavior, a person unconditionally submits to the will of the opponent, even if he does not agree with him. In the event of contradictions and disagreements, people who are not characterized by destructive behavior strive in every possible way to reach a consensus as quickly as possible.
Even if the conflict takes on a not entirely pleasant outline, they, as a rule, save face and do not stoop to rudeness, obscene language and the use of physical force.
A destructive personality is usually generally incapable of perceiving the opinions of others and, when in conflict, deliberately aggravates the situation, becomes personal, insults opponents, and behaves provocatively and provocatively.
Destructive conflicts lead nowhere. In such disputes, no solution emerges, and the parties disperse only to meet again to recall past grievances and continue to further aggravate the situation.
Psychologists encourage learning to manage conflicts, and we can say with confidence that this skill will be useful to absolutely every person.
Destructive - what does it mean?
Let's define the meaning of the word destructive. The term is derived from the Latin word destructivus, which means “destructive.” What does destructive mean?
Destructive is:
- destructive process;
- something malfunctions;
- destruction, disintegration of structures, connections, dependencies.
The definition of a concept depends on the context, the phrase in which it is used. Let's consider popular cases of using the term, its definition in all phenomena.
Destructive relationships
Destructive relationships are toxic, dependent or codependent, dangerous relationships in which both or one participant suffers. Violence, restriction of freedom and development, conflicts, humiliation, tyranny, total control are a small part of what is present in these relationships. They destroy the personalities and lives of the participants.
Signs of a toxic relationship:
- ignoring the opinions, interests, desires, needs of the partner;
- neglect of a partner;
- chemical dependencies in one or both participants;
- feeling of uselessness, indifference;
- beatings, humiliation;
- betrayal;
- feeling of worthlessness, inferiority, low self-esteem;
- manipulation, including jealousy, tears, guilt;
- chronic nervous tension;
- chronic feeling of unhappiness, feeling of being a victim.
Love, according to Fromm’s definition, is an active interest in life and the development of the subject of love. This is what a healthy relationship looks like. This is a union of two independent people, independent financially, morally, physically. Everyone is free, but at the same time everyone wants to spend time with the other, because together they can achieve even more, they enrich each other.
Destructive criticism and communication
Destructive criticism is malicious, caustic, belittling remarks that do not contribute to personal development and demotivate. This is a criticism of personality, not of actions or individual traits. This is the imposition of your opinion, an attempt to “imprison” someone to suit you, to force them to do something the way you want. After toxic criticism, there is no desire to try again, to try something new. Disappointment in yourself, anger, a feeling that you have been doused with slop and trampled on, an attitude of “I’m worthless” appear.
Toxic criticism leads to conflicts, wars, and quarrels. Destructive communication is claims, insults, reproaches. Like incorrect criticism, it leads to conflicts.
Destructive conflict
Constructive conflict brings people closer together, improves mutual understanding, and increases productivity. Destructive conflict has no benefit. The participants do not try to understand each other or solve the problem.
Features of the conflict:
- leads away from solving the problem;
- lowers the self-esteem of participants, drives them into a state of stress;
- aimed at searching for differences and contradictions between participants, rather than searching for compromises and commonalities;
- spoils the psychological climate in the team;
- does not contribute to the development of participants and their relationships.
Such conflicts are dangerous. They harm production, relationships, and the well-being of the participants.
Signs of toxic conflict behavior:
- mistrust;
- orders;
- accusations;
- dismissive, condescending attitude;
- refusal to accept another point of view, conviction that one is right;
- imposing one's opinion, coercion;
- criticism of others combined with non-acceptance of criticism towards oneself.
A destructive conflict is an irrational confrontation between two personalities. Such individuals have a sharply negative attitude; they do not try to interact or seek a compromise. They suppress others and are ready to go over their heads in order to achieve personal goals. A destructive conflict can only be resolved by a third party (intermediary, mediator).
Destructive feelings and emotions
Destructive emotions and feelings are an unprocessed force that destroys an individual from the inside. Resentment, jealousy, anxiety, sadness, longing, love - any feeling and emotion can become destructive if it does not find a way out. But, of course, more often we are talking about negative experiences and dissatisfaction.
Destructive thoughts and conversations
Obsessive thoughts or useless conversations that interfere with personal development. For example, phobias, flashbacks, replaying old situations with an alternative ending, excessive fantasizing, negative reasoning, lamentations about how bad everything in life is. They need to be replaced with productive actions, solving problems in the present.
Destructive character
Destructive character is the presence of qualities that hinder self-realization, personal development, and its interaction with society. This category includes gloominess, unsociability, isolation, shyness, fear of communication, stubbornness, egocentrism, etc.
Destructive personality
What does a destructive personality mean? This is a person whose activity is aimed at destroying social norms, institutions, and laws. At the same time, activity is aimed at creating one’s own, alternative identity, different from those models that the person is trying to destroy. Such a person cannot live outside of society, because only in interaction with other people does he find ways of self-affirmation, self-actualization, and self-presentation.
Personal destruction can be spontaneous and permanent. The first depends on conditions and manifests itself in specific circumstances. The second is always noticeable, in everything. In both cases, a person has a destructive attitude toward self-affirmation through aggression and the destruction of social objects. The severity of personality destructiveness ranges from passive phrases like “I hate this world, I despise all its foundations and norms” to active asocial actions. Such a person denies generally accepted values and norms and limits life to the framework of his worldview. This leads to a narrowing of thinking and consciousness.
A destructive person is an aggressive type who runs away from freedom. With the help of destruction, he tries to overcome his inferiority, which he feels due to his inability to reveal the potential for self-realization. Through destructive actions (mentally, physically), he suppresses the potential of other people. Such a person cannot adequately evaluate his actions and is hostile to the world.
Destructive influence
“Don’t be friends with this company, they have a bad influence on you,” parents sometimes tell their children. The influence of a bad company is an example of destructive influence. In addition, they often talk about the negative influence of other cultures on the culture of Russia, the influence of social networks on the minds of young people. Destructive influence is an impact from groups, individuals, systems, cultures, etc. that destroys the values and foundations of an individual. Most often we are talking about informational influence, propaganda of destructive phenomena, for example, deviations, antisocial behavior, homosexuality, extremism, etc.
Destructive activity
These are destructive acts and actions, for example, violence, massacres, wars, terrorism, destruction of natural and cultural heritage. Similar acts are noticeable in all countries, which indicates a universal human tendency towards destructive activities. Moreover, it is developing and acquiring new risks in direct proportion to technical and information progress. With the help of the Internet, it is easier for a person to influence society, and it is easier for society to influence a person. Unemployment, unstable socio-economic and political atmosphere in the country are factors that increase the tendency to destructive activities.
Due to destructive attitudes, a person’s perception and ability to evaluate himself and situations are distorted, and emotional disturbances arise.
How is destructiveness dangerous for society?
Destruction is, in psychology, an individual’s desire to commit destructive actions, provoke conflicts, and oppose himself to all accepted norms of social life. A destructive personality creates a number of problems, both for himself and for his environment.
With less pronounced forms of destructive behavior, such people oppress the environment morally, being toxic friends, relatives, colleagues, parents.
They try to avoid them, since communicating with them does not bring any pleasure, and the opponent always feels humiliated and depressed after a conversation with a destructive person.
With more pronounced destructive behavior, in addition to verbal pressure, such individuals can pose a real threat not only to the psychological state of their environment, but also to their physical health.
In a fit of rage and aggression, these people can injure, maim and beat others, especially if they suffer from addictions and have poor control over their behavior.
A destructive person feels especially at ease in a home environment, where he can often mock with impunity those close to him who are weaker than him.
The problem of domestic violence and tyranny is precisely connected with this behavioral disorder, when wives and children are abused by their husbands and fathers, and the law enforcement system reacts poorly to complaints and often the situation becomes tragic.
The destructive behavior of adolescents is also of particular concern, since it can often not manifest itself clearly and parents may not even suspect that their child is prone to destructive behavior. External destruction at this age is usually expressed in vandalism and fights.
In some cases, teenagers may become involved in extreme sports and have too many tattoos on their bodies. All this is a manifestation of internal negativism. Sometimes children at this age do not express their protest openly, but completely withdraw into themselves, while having suicidal thoughts.
In such a situation, it is very difficult to recognize internal destruction, since outwardly the child’s life may look ordinary - school, friends.
In this case, it is important to know what the teenager is interested in, what he watches and what social groups he is in, since often information received from these sources can push the child to take an irreparable step.
History of the study of destructiveness
In S. Freud's theory of the forces that drive each personality, the death instinct occupies a significant place.
It means that a person strives for a primary inanimate state through destructive behavior.
K. Lorenz, like Freud, believes that aggression is inherent in the instinctive mechanism. It promotes adaptation (what is it?), adaptation to various conditions. As well as survival among other individuals, taking their position in the social hierarchy.
A. Bass gives the definition:
“Aggression is a reaction that brings pain to the organism at which it is specifically directed.”
This is one type of behavior to achieve a goal. Often the meaning of aggression is to force another person to do something - a type of manipulation (what is this?).
F. Allan believes that this is simply a way to gather one’s strength in order to withstand external factors. L. Bender says that people use destructiveness to get closer or further away from a person or situation.
Other points of view on destructive behavior:
- natural human reflex;
- reaction to mental or physical discomfort;
- drive and passion, which brings pleasure, despite all the negativity;
- the result is frustration (what is it?) – when it is impossible to satisfy one’s needs or solve a problem.
How can a destructive person change for the better?
When a person realizes his problem associated with destruction and begins to fight it, he may not always know what exactly needs to be done to reduce the degree of internal tension and aggression.
In some cases, with a strong manifestation of rage, a person cannot cope with it on his own, and he needs the help of a psychologist, as well as taking sedatives that will have a calming effect on the psyche and inhibit the processes of overexcitation.
An important role is played by the prevention of the development of destructiveness, which is most effectively carried out in childhood and adolescence.
To prevent the development of destruction, teachers, together with parents, must take measures aimed at correcting such behavior in the early stages of aggression.
To prevent destructive behavior it is necessary:
- guide the child’s thoughts in a positive direction;
- track the social contacts of children and adolescents, as well as the information they get from the Internet (games, groups, communities, films and videos);
- instill a love of sports and cultural leisure;
- encourage creative initiatives.
To correct the condition in adults, it is important to comprehensively work through the problem independently and with a specialist.
Developing empathy and compassion
When under the influence of destructive impulses, a person may lose the ability to empathize and sympathize. In this case, you need to learn it again. When a person begins to show compassion and empathize with others, he feels less aggression towards the world around him and other people.
To develop empathy, you can involve destructively minded individuals in volunteer activities, helping the infirm, the elderly and animals.
Feeling how his energy is revealed and manifested on the other, creative and positive side, a destructive person begins to realize the full horror of his destructive actions and understands where he can direct his efforts not for destruction, but for good.
Avoidance of fear
People whose destruction is directed at themselves should fight, first of all, with their fears, because of which self-destructive ideas arise. It is important to learn to perceive yourself and distinguish between true and false fears.
True fears can push a person to commit really dangerous acts aimed at causing harm to his health. If obsessive thoughts or phobias arise, you should seek help from a specialist - a psychotherapist or psychologist.
Releasing aggression
If you have destructive tendencies, you should learn to throw out negative energy without breaking something or beating someone, but in a slightly different way. Men can be recommended to go to the gym, boxing classes or extreme sports.
Some people find emotional release through calmer hobbies - drawing, music, embroidery, modeling, fishing. To release excess aggressive energy, it is useful to be in nature more often, meditate, and reduce the consumption of red meat and alcohol.
Increased self-esteem
Often behind destructive behavior lies an attempt to look like a more confident and self-sufficient person, but it should be understood that in this case destructive actions will not help you feel like a full-fledged member of society.
In this case, it is important to find something you like, your calling, to open up and express yourself in something, in order, first of all, to find harmony in the soul. This does not mean that you need to make a dizzying career or achieve unprecedented heights in sports, art or another field.
Not every person is capable of amazing talents, but everyone can live life with dignity, doing what they love and benefiting people. This can be a constructive activity that the person truly enjoys and that raises their level of self-esteem.
In this case, destructive behavior gradually fades into the background and is replaced by work, creativity and a sense of satisfaction from the results achieved.
Destruction is a special type of destructive and aggressive behavior in psychology, due to which an individual can cause suffering to those around him or to himself.
Destruction can manifest itself insignificantly, or it can take on extreme forms and lead to sad consequences - hostility, violence, murder.
Such behavior should not go unnoticed, because in the early stages of manifestation of rage and aggression, a person can be helped to avoid making mistakes and return him to normal life.
How to overcome destructiveness
Destructiveness is a reflection of aggression and fear. To get rid of the mindset of destruction and self-destruction, you need to work through psychological trauma. To do this, it is better to consult a psychologist.
You can do the following as self-help:
- Support yourself. Find support and opportunity for self-affirmation within yourself. You can feel like a complete and confident person without establishing yourself at the expense of others.
- Develop empathy and compassion to get rid of aggression and improve communication skills.
- Learn to release negative emotions. Realize your creativity. Select the type that interests you.
Destructiveness spoils the life of a person and his environment, leading to personality degradation, psychophysical and emotional exhaustion. The tendency to destroy leads to immoral, immoral, criminal acts. Remember that the desire for destruction is a response to unresolved psychological problems. Find them and deal with them.
