Destructiveness is a term that is derived from the Latin word destructio, which in translation means destruction, a violation of the normal structure of something. In psychology, this term denotes a negative attitude of a person, which he directs to certain external objects (outside), or, optionally, to himself (inside), as well as behavior that corresponds to these views.
Destructiveness: general
Dr. Sigmund Freud believed that destructiveness is the usual property of absolutely any person, and believed that the only difference is in what this phenomenon is directed at. Eric Fromm in the work "Anatomy of Human Destructiveness" is convinced that destructiveness directed outward is only a reflection of what is directed inward, and thus it turns out that if the destructiveness of a person is not directed at itself, then it can not proceed to others.
Human destructiveness is a consequence of the fact that the person simply blocks the output of fruitful energy, seeing the various obstacles in their path of development and self-expression. It is because of failure in the complex matter of self-realization that this pathological phenomenon arises. It is interesting, but the person remains unhappy even after the achievement of the goals.
Destructiveness and its orientation
As mentioned above, destructiveness can be directed outward and inward. Let us consider examples of both types.
Manifestations of destructive behavior directed outward can be considered the following facts:
- the destruction of another person (murder), the destruction of his personality;
- the destruction of society, some social relations (war, terrorist act);
- destruction of valuable items, for example, monuments and works of art (vandalism);
- destruction of the natural environment (environmental terrorism, ecocide).
Negative consequences in this case will primarily affect the external object, not the person himself.
The manifestations of destructive behavior directed inwards, or autodestruction, include:
- any abuse of mentally active substances (substance abuse, alcoholism, drug dependence);
- suicide (deliberate physical assassination of self and self-destruction of a person);
- dependence pathological non-chemical: Internet addiction, gambling (passion for gambling), etc.
There can be many manifestations and all of them carry certain harm, some larger, some less.
Destructive and destructive behavior
Destructive behavior is a type of behavior that is destructive for a person, which is characterized by significant deviations from existing psychological and even medical norms, as a result of which the quality of human life suffers greatly. Personality ceases to critically review and assess their behavior, there is a misunderstanding of what is happening and cognitive distortion of perception in general. As a result, self-esteem is reduced, all sorts of emotional disturbances arise that
Destructiveness in itself is present in absolutely every person, but manifests itself only in difficult, difficult, perhaps, crucial moments of life. Often this happens to adolescents, who, in addition to the problems of the age-related psyche, are still burdened with learning loads and complex relationships with the older generation.
In some cases, destructive personality changes are possible, which consist in the destruction of the very structure of the personality or, as an option, certain of its components. There are various forms of this phenomenon: the deformation of motives of behavior, the deformation of needs, changes in character and temperament, the violation of volitional behavior management, inadequate self-esteem and problems in communicating with others.