Subtitles section Play video
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Neil: Hello and welcome to 6 Minute English. I'm Neil...
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Catherine: and I'm Catherine. Hello.
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Neil: Hello, Catherine!
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I want to know, what sort of things make you feel angry?
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Catherine: Many things make me feel angry, Neil.
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But one thing that makes me regularly angry is when people put the wrong rubbish in the wrong bins.
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Neil: Yes, that makes me angry too.
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Catherine: Does it?
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Neil: It's not very thoughtful, is it?
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Catherine: Not really, no.
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Neil: So, you may feel angry about people putting rubbish in the wrong bin but do you get aggressive?
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That's behaving in an angry way,
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looking like you want to argue or even fight with someone?
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Catherine: No. I don't really get aggressive about wheelie bins, to be honest.
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Neil: Well I tend to control my anger too
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and keep calm but I have been known to react
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especially if someone is damaging some of my property.
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Catherine: Wow. Really?
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Neil: Yeah. I can't stand it.
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It comes out of the blue
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it's completely unexpected.
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But I'm glad to say I feel quite calm today.
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Catherine: I'm glad to hear it, Neil.
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But today we are talking about aggression
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and we'll look at what we can learn about human aggression
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by some examples from the animal kingdom.
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Neil: That's right.
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Now, are you ready to answer today's quiz question, Catherine?
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Catherine: In a very calm and non-aggressive way,
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I would like you to give me the question.
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Neil: When attacked, what does a baboon typically do to show aggression?
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Does it... a) beat its chest
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b) yawn and show its teeth
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or c) laugh and roll on the ground
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Catherine: Well... I'd love to think of an angry baboon laughing and rolling on the ground.
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But I'm going to go for b) yawn and show its teeth.
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Neil: OK. Well, we'll see if you right or wrong a bit later on.
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Now, Catherine, how do you usually act when you're angry or upset about something?
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Catherine: I generally let people know how I feel to be honest.
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I don't go over the top and hit people, but also I don't sulk about things.
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And sulk means when you refuse to smile
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or speak because you want to let people know you are upset about something.
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Neil: Sulking is quite childish, isn't it Catherine?
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Catherine: It is. Are you a sulker, Neil?
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Neil: I don't sulk, I don't think.
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But as I said I don't often get angry.
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I'm a very well balanced and grounded person, Catherine.
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Catherine: Really, very good. I'm pleased to hear it, Neil.
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Anyway, well balanced means sensible and in control of your emotions.
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And grounded means mentally and emotionally stable.
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Is that what you're saying, Neil?
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Neil: Yes, that's me.
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let's listen to Professor Simon Underdown talking about human behaviour.
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Can you spot a phrase that means 'the opposite side to an idea'?
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Simon Underdown: One of the things humans are incredibly good at doing is being psychologists.
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We'e very good at reading situations that we find ourselves in [...]
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We're extremely good at picking up on signals.
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What we can then do is trigger the appropriate response.
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If it's an empathetic response we may well need to then be sympathetic,
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we maybe need to show our sort of fluffy side if you want.
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But on the flipside from an evolutionary point of view the reason we are so successful
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and we're still here is because we can,
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and when we need to, react aggressively to situations.
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Neil: Did you spot the phrase?
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Flipside means the opposite side of an idea.
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And being aggressive is the flipside of being fluffy and sympathetic.
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Catherine: Fluffy, by the way, is an adjective we often use to describe soft animal fur
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or feathers on young animals or soft toys for children.
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But here fluffy means behaviour that is soft
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and unthreatening so it's the opposite of aggressive.
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Neil: And if you are empathetic you are able to share or understand another person's feelings.
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That sounds like me!
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I'm an excellent empathizer, aren't I, Catherine?
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Catherine: Neil, you are absolutely totally full of ... empathy.
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Neil: Nice pause.
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Catherine: Thank you.
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Neil: Now, Simon also talks about humans being good at reading situations.
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What does that mean, Catherine?
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Catherine: It means understanding what's going on.
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For example, if a male gorilla is screaming and breaking branches,
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other gorillas will probably see this as a show of aggression.
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Neil: The male gorilla screams and breaks branches,
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signalling to the other gorillas that he's angry or upset.
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Signal here means a noise
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or a movement that gives someone information.
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Catherine: And the male gorilla's signal triggers a response from the other gorillas.
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This means one thing causes another thing to happen.
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Neil: And when a man suddenly punches another man in the face,
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what signal does that send?
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Catherine: Well, I think for me that would be a signal to leave!
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Neil: Yes. Quickly.
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Catherine: Yes, indeed.
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And humans usually give signals just like the gorillas do,
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before they start a fight.
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So people might shout, or gesture with their arms.
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And a gesture is a movement made with arms
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or head to give someone else information.
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Now then, Neil.
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Let's have our quiz question answer please.
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Neil: OK, OK, stop waving your arms around.
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So I asked:
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When attacked, what does a baboon typically do to show aggression?
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Does it...a) beat its chest?
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b) yawn and show its teeth?
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or c) laugh and roll on the ground?
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Catherine: And I said b).
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Neil: That's right. Well done!
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Now let's hear today's words once again.
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Catherine: They are:
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out of the blue
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aggressive
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sulk
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well balanced
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grounded
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flipside
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fluffy
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empathetic
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reading situations
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signal
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triggers a response
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gesture
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Neil: Well, that's the end of today's 6 Minute English.
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Check out more programmes at bbclearningenglish.com.
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Join us again soon.
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Both: Bye.