Pugnacity

Thus, for McDougall, the tender emotion is the emotional aspect of the instinct of pity, anger of the instinct of pugnacity, which is, as an impulse, the tendency to strike and destroy. ❋ Irwin Edman (N/A)

Man is once for all a fighting animal; centuries of peaceful history could not breed the battle-instinct out of us; and our pugnacity is the virtue least in need of reinforcement by reflection, least in need of orator's or poet's help. ❋ William James (1876)

He has the kind of pugnacity which prompts a cur or a puppy to attack a ❋ Various (N/A)

Pawlenty, on the other hand, pursues a path of pugnacity while attackin 'the Dems just for the sake of polarizin. ❋ Unknown (2009)

It was also apparent in speeches by Clinton and Treasury Secretary Timothy F. Geithner, both of whom were blunt to the point of pugnacity. ❋ John Pomfret (2011)

Demanding to know whether the PM would disown the pugnacity of the No to AV campaign's depiction of the deputy PM, Huhne's determination was deemed inappropriate for cabinet. ❋ Unknown (2011)

The marketing data industry has a tendency toward winner-take-all monopoly (e.g., the Nielsen TV ratings), but in the scanner data business, the DOJ prevented the two leaders from merging in 1987 and the pugnacity of the two competitors caused a subsequent price war that went on for over a decade, with disastrous effects on the stock price. ❋ Unknown (2009)

It was also apparent in speeches before Hu's visit by Clinton and Geithner, both of whom were blunt to the point of pugnacity. ❋ Debbi Wilgoren (2011)

Pulling together his famous eloquence, erudition, wit, and pugnacity into an hour-long floor speech, Benton argued it was simply silly to suggest the Rio Grande march had caused the war. ❋ Robert W. Merry (2009)

After his unusual demureness in face of the star-making machinery, I'm pleased to see Philip Pullman recovering his characteristic pugnacity to defend his dark materials from the interference of the interfering Faithful: Religion grants its adherents malign, intoxicating and morally corrosive sensations. ❋ Roger Sutton (2008)

As it stands the piece is just laughable, exemplifying exactly the kind of ‘woeful incompetence’ and ‘unfounded’ pugnacity he sees in others. ❋ Unknown (2010)

Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, may be awful, but next-door neighbor Scranton is awfuller, and Scranton has a certain likable pugnacity that comes from knowing you are famously crummy and not giving two hoots. ❋ Gene Weingarten (2010)

This argument about Reid's lack of pugnacity is a familiar one from progressives. ❋ Unknown (2010)