The covert-aggressive personality employs a potent one-two punch: concealing obvious aggressive intent to ensure you never really see what’s coming; and exploiting your normal sensitivities, conscientiousness and other vulnerabilities to manipulate you into succumbing to his demands.

Sadists love to build themselves up at the expense of others. It makes them feel powerful to wield almost tyrannical influence over those they perceive as weaker or inferior. They derive pleasure from watching others cower, grovel, or struggle in one-down positions.

The Channeled-Aggressives in our midst want everyone to know that they are a power to be reckoned with and have little regard for those whom they perceive to be less tenacious. They might even regard it as a perverted indication of respect if others cower in their presence. Do you know someone like this?

Despite frequent social sanctions, aggressive personalities often persist in their aggressive defiance of society’s rules and limits.

There is a fairly substantial group of highly disturbed characters at the center of most abusive relationships and who pose the greatest threat to social order. These are the pathological fighters who resist all attempts to socialize them.