Psychologist X claims that "a little" assertiveness is healthy, but that "too much" of it constitutes "aggressiveness." In reality, however, assertiveness and aggressiveness are behaviors that are essentially different in kind:
- Assertiveness consists in the confident pursuit of
one's self-interests. It requires a healthy self-esteem and
respect for self.
- Aggressiveness consists in attempts to dominate others.
As we shall find in Section 3, it typically stems from
feelings of inadequacy and of the futility of independent
action—i. e., from low self-esteem.
In this case, not only are assertiveness and aggressiveness distinct kinds of behavior, but they stem from opposite sources. They differ not just in degree, but in kind, and should be measured separately in personality inventories. If psychologist X communicates this cognitive error to his or her clients, unfortunately, a shy patient may never learn to exercise true self-assertiveness, fearing that such behavior might become invasive of others.
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