THERE WAS a lion that had given himself the title, ‘king of the forests’. Not content with the just that moniker, he liked confirming it every now and then. So he would approach other animals and ask them, “Who is the is the king of the forest ?” Fearing for their lives, they would say, “You are the king. Who else but you, sir !” With every such response, the lion became more and more vain.

One day, he came across an elephant. Ture to his wont, he asked the elephant the same question. At first, the elephant ignored him but when the lion insisted on getting an answer, the elephant lifted him with his trunk and threw him away. The lion suitably chastened made a feeble remark, “If you did not know sir, you should have said so, why the violence ?”

Unfortunately aggression is becoming fashionable these days, notably among children, business people, politicians, sports persons and lovers. Many even take pride in such behaviour.

Aggression is a part of the body’s defence mechanism, linked to survival and can be easily seen in animals. Humans are expected to be more cultured in their exchanges with others, if their claims of being superior to animals is to be sustained.

But why the aggression towards fellow beings ?

May be one is over confident of one’s powers - like the lion. Or there is much pride, which comes with might, wealth, beauty, fame, knowledge and even religious beliefs. Sometimes, humans feels superior on account of their race, colour or country.

Usually one hopes not only to get away with such ‘assets’ but also secure some tangible benefits for oneself. Some groups, like parents, teachers, filmstars and employers are getting most affected by this regression.

What does the book of eternal wisdom – the Bhagavad-Geeta - say in this regard ? “Humility, non-violence, simplicity and self-control are knowledge and contrary behaviour is ignorance”.

So how does one stop oneself from being too aggressive ? By knowing that humility brings more rewards than aggression ; that pride has its downfall ; that being excessively aggressive towards others is actually an act of violence ; and simplicity is part of human behaviour.

How can we call ourselves cultured if we have no self-control ? Should we not behave in the manner we expect others to behave with us ? Aggression may be a mantra promoted in the marketing field, but aggressive behaviour is not acceptable in society.