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By Rabi Raj Thapa

Recent news of murder by the restaurant owner of his customer and murder of his own sibling brother and father by Dumb-bell is not at all normal behavior. Growing suicidal cases and the flight of millions Nepali youth day-by-day are more alarming. Now the time has come for all to be really serious.

Today, the state seems to have failed its people, and the community and society seem to have become totally disoriented, and deviated due to chronic frustration getting over frustrated leading to abnormal psychology of frustration and aggression leading to abnormal psychological behavior.

What could be the real reasons for such frustration and aggressive behaviors? In 1939, Yale University psychologists John Dollard, Doob, Miller and others had already developed a hypothesis which they had coined the Frustration-Aggression Hypothesis.

The original theory presumes that “any frustration will inevitably lead to aggression, and any aggression is due when there is frustration.

For the first time, I came to know about this hypothesis in 1988 while I was undergoing a training course in the German Federal Police (BUNDESKRIMINALAMT).

Here, I would like to explain the maladies and menace due to the frustration-aggression of young generations in today’s day-to-day lives.

If you look at the figure above, shows a person (subject) facing obstruction while leading towards its goal. (See lower 1 to upper 1 Point as Obstructed by Point 2). Such types of drives towards the goal and numerous obstructions on its path are too common in Nepal these days.

In such a situation some people get frustrated and turn to display aggressive behavior directly, while others change their goals and compensate for their loss. For example, if a person fails to become a doctor, he may feel happy and content to become a police officer. (See lower Point 1 to 2 to 3). But if s/he fails in compensating effort too, s/he may be more frustrated and get more aggressive to the people and environment around people and circumstances that cause the failure. (See Point 3 to 4 leading to + 5, i.e. Aggression).

Once people get frustrated and start aggressive behavior even before they strive to compensate and find an alternative to their primary goal. (Point 2 to 4 to +5). This cycle of goal setting, compensation, frustration, and aggression goes round and round which is too normal for all.

But, whatever internal personal cause or external causes, if a frustrated person starts aggressive behavior in a harmful way, that may be directed towards the self (internal) or towards others (external). Internal aggressive behavior results in harming oneself by taking drugs and abusive substances, becoming an alcoholic and taking one’s own life (suicide) in extreme cases.

When a subject’s aggression gets directed externally, it can lead to socially deviant aggressive behavior that can be violent, and hostile, to the family, community, society at large and the country and the world. Al-Qaeda Hamas and ISIS are some examples.

Some major factors that have aggravated frustration and aggression in the Nepali population are ever increasing number of dysfunctional families and erosion of social values and the erosion of institutional credibility whether in education, health, civil and more importantly politics. Economic hardship, lack of job opportunities, lack of good governance, corruption nepotism; impunity and lawlessness are driving Nepali people to grow increasingly frustrated and more aggressive than in the past which may, if left unchecked, unaddressed may aggravate into a national catastrophe infecting all society and social institution, family and community and everything in no time.

Therefore, it would be prudent and timely if the government could prioritize more on human issues rather than wasting time in political musical chairs and ideological haranguing. Let the government focus on family, and community as a “People First” approach and focus on their overall physical and mental health to save life and prevent people from aggressive mindsets and behavior.