Under Pressure

[Statius]

Similar to my "life less lived" post. I know some of you thrive under pressure (M, I believe, enjoys the challenge and stress of what he does). I do not. No sir, I don't like it. My god, I'm under a lot of stress at work right now. I tell ya, I don't know if it's worth it. Pay offs are potentially big, but so what? I just don't know.

What about you guys/gals? Do you love a high stress, high energy lifestyle, or do you prefer a low stress one (even if it means a lower standard of living...but now we're just talking less fancy cars and watches, so don't know if that matters). Anyhoo, just need to vent. As a great man once said, sometimes you get the bear and sometimes the bear gets you. Well, the bear's been getting me quite a bit lately. Maybe I should take up yoga.

[pepperami]

The graveyards are full of folk who thought they couldn't be done without

Modest life for me, no amount of money will pay me to be continually stressed, It was a good day when I woke up and realised that no matter what effort I make for an employer, someday I'll be surplus.

[thewalrus]

I have the same sort of debate all the time. I like some kinds of stress, but generally I prefer a more laid back lifestyle. The ability to sit back, engage in a good conversation over a nice beer with friends - and without the nagging worries of stress in the background is a heck of a luxury. And it's worth money off the pay check to achieve it, I think. That said, too little stress, and a lack of challenges in life can be pretty damning too.

[geoffbot]

You can only do what you can do

[Raza]

Throughout my life, I've been cursed with being good at things I don't like to do. I am great at math (rusty now), but I never liked it. I was great at finance, but I absolutely abhorred it. Even back to little league, I desperately wanted to pitch, but I didn't have the accuracy to pitch consistently. I just wasn't good at it. But if you put me at third base, I was a brick wall. Nothing got past me, and I could send it to first base with serious vigor.

This dislike of all my abilities has fostered a bit of a lack of motivation, and perhaps even a lack of focus. I like a challenge, I like to be tested. I find that under pressure, my motivation issues disappear and I become focused like a laser. I need the stress to keep clarity in my mind. And with that clarity, I'm able to tackle issues.

[CanadianStraps]

I love a good challenge, and I like to be on my toes. No one enjoys 'stress'.

[Henry Krinkle]

My business is as successful as I want it to be. It could have been more successful and I could make quite a bit more money but I chose not to work that hard. I am all right with being the boss of ten people but would not want to be the boss of even twenty, let alone fifty.


When I paint I do best working under a very tight, almost impossible, deadline. Much of my best work happens then and I learn far more.

[Chronopolitano]

Wearing spanx helps. A lot.

But all seriousness aside, while I am not a professional Classicist, I've read my share, and learned a few things, like I should!
Wasn't that the whole point of reading all those Greeks? To get a sense of how one should live as a mortal?

So, nope.
Why must one must suffer the pointless and inglorious stress and humiliation of running among rats?
You may win the rat race, but in the end, you're still a rat.

Character is Fate?
One should follow one's "good daimon" (eudaimonia).

[Jeannie]

Interesting that most of you seem to relate stress to your jobs. My job isn't particularly stressful. My family is.

Jeannie

[Statius]

I guess in a sense there's no such thing as a stressful situation; rather it is how one reacts to a situation. I am choosing to get stressed out when I should be choosing the opposite. Bad on me. For me in all honesty I think it's more control. I am not in 100% control of certain situations and it drives me nuts and causes me to choose a stressful reaction.