A variety of evidence, from narrow studies of amity pat- terns among children to the very broadest gregarious statistics, points toward correlations between convivial omission and aggression. But what causes what? Many theorists have concluded, very plausibly, that truculent demeanor leads to convivial omission, because people disrelish associating with someone whose comportment is deleterious or disruptive. Our findings do not prove that theory erroneous, but they do fortify the antithesis direction of causality. Omission from convivial groups and relationships—even just aurally perceiving a forecast about being alone during the distant future—appears to engender a vigorous propensity toward truculent
