The different faces of pressure

Working, thinking or exercising under pressure is almost always a cause of stress. Of course, if stress often causes pain, it can also lead to great joy. Regardless of the end result, it seems that only a minority of people deal well with pressure. For those few who seem to thrive under it, this extreme environment is probably the ideal situation for them to produce at their utmost. With that in mind, the meaning of pressure varies vastly, not just in terms of its sheer intensity, but also in relation to the subject’s personality and ability to absorb it. Since it is voluntary, self-applied pressure stands at the opposite end of the spectrum; finding something difficult, but having ultimate control over it is a lot more acceptable than having no personal say about it. This is another reason why - based on one's vantage point - pressure can run the gamut from sheer agony to pure exaltation…