Main Interests of the Aggressive Personality Type

  1. being able to dominate and command others, and exercise power
  2. being a part of a traditional power structure
  3. being self-disciplined; being able to impose discipline on others
  4. accomplishing objectives
  5. reaching goals
  6. being active and adventurous; being physically assertive and competitive in sports
  7. getting people to do what you want them to do


Characteristic Traits and Behaviors

Dr. John M. Oldham has defined the Aggressive personality style. The following six characteristic traits and behaviors are listed in his The New Personality Self-Portrait.

  1. Command. Aggressive individuals take charge. They are comfortable with power, authority, and responsibility.
  2. Hierarchy. They operate best within a traditional power structure where everyone knows his or her place and the lines of authority are clear.
  3. Tight ship. They are highly disciplined and impose rules of order that they expect others in their charge to follow.
  4. Expedience. Aggressive men and women are highly goal-directed. They take a practical, pragmatic approach to accomplishing their objectives. They do what is necessary to get the job done.
  5. Guts. They are neither squeamish nor fainthearted. They can function well and bravely in difficult and dangerous situations without being distracted by fear or horror.
  6. The rough-and-tumble. Aggressive people like action and adventure. They are physically assertive and often participate in or enjoy playing competitive sports, especially contact sports.


Character Strengths and Virtues

The "Character Strengths and Virtues" are attributes of the idealized self, or ego ideal. As "conditions of worth" they are idols.

  1. Disposition to command, disposition to dominate, leadership, strength, powerfulness, authoritativeness, responsibleness.
  2. Orderliness, conservatism.
  3. Discipline, self-control, self-restraint, craftiness, shrewdness, benevolence, protectiveness, generosity, liberality.
  4. Purposefulness, goal-directedness, expediency, practicality, pragmatism, disposition to achieve, disposition to accomplish, productiveness.
  5. Bravery, fearlessness, fortitude, toughness.
  6. Energy, activeness, aggressiveness, adventurousness, assertiveness, confidence, competitiveness.


Careers and Jobs for the Aggressive type

This list represents careers and jobs people of the Aggressive type tend to enjoy doing.

  • program designer
  • attorney
  • administrator
  • office manager
  • chemical engineer
  • sales manager
  • logistics consultant
  • franchise owner
  • new business developer
  • personnel manager
  • investment banker
  • labor relations
  • management trainer
  • credit investigator
  • mortgage broker
  • corporate team trainer
  • environmental engineer
  • biomedical engineer
  • business consultant
  • educational consultant
  • personal financial planner
  • network integration
  • ...specialist
  • media planner/buyer


Noteworthy examples of the Aggressive personality type

Many people (and not just those of the Aggressive personality type) have aggressive traits or behave in a aggressive manner. But the traits and behaviors of the Aggressive personality type are not so inflexible and maladaptive or the cause of such significant subjective distress or functional impairment as to constitute.


Sadistic personality disorder.

The noteworthy examples of the Aggressive personality type are examples of a *type*, not of a disorder. It is my opinion that the ideal type which is described above is best characterized as aggressive, and that the Aggressive personality type represents the pervasive and enduring pattern of the personalities of the people listed below better than any other type.

Famous persons on this list may serve as ego ideals, idealized images, and idols for individuals of the Aggressive type.

Source: Dave Kelly
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