In the English language the expression „to be aggressive“ has both a positive and a negative meaning. The positive side of aggression or aggressiveness stands for moving forward, approaching and beginning something or someone and pushing it in the right direction. The negative implication of aggression stands for violence, insulting, attacking someone or something. The American psychologist George Bach therefore distinguishes constructive and destructive aggression:
When we succeed to make an adequate and controlled use of our own aggression, which means to escalate or deescalate according to the situation and the persons involved then we increase the probability that we both achieve our goals and treat the others respectfully.