Life is one tough business. We are thrust
at birth into a harsh environment
where we are instantly overwhelmed with light, sound,
and new sensations. As we
gasp our first breath of cold, strange air and are cut
off from our life-nourishing
umbilical, we must learn to survive on our own.
It would certainly be nice to be
back in the warm, safe comfort of the womb, but once
out there is no turning back.
As we frail humans grow, we are constantly learning new
skills in order to survive.
Our almost hairless bodies adapt, and we learn to clothe
ourselves to keep from
being overcome by all sorts of assaults from the environment.
As we make our way through life, we must also clothe
our psyches in order to
adapt to tremendous pressures from society. This
adaptation is called coping, and
we learn to do this from the day we are born. We
learn to cope with physical
discomfort, and we learn to cope with emotional deprivation
by finding ways to
satisfy ourselves. Some people learn this mechanism
better than others, and those
who fail at using this wonderful mental tool soon find
that they are at a
disadvantage.
During our everyday lives we are inevitably faced
with crises and problems
that must be met head-on. As we look at the people
we know, all of us are aware
that personality type plays an enormous role in determining
how we handle
situations. There are some who fold under pressure
and there are a few who
instinctively take the lead. Scientists have conducted
tests for years trying to
determine the psychological makeup of various individuals.
They have labeled people with "Type A" and "Type B" personalities, and
have assigned various characteristics to each. These scientific geniuses
have even labeled different body types, such as endomorphic and ectomorphic,
in order to explain why we act as we do. They constantly argue whether
environment or heredity has made the largest impact in determining our
personalities. All of this psychological labeling offers a fine explanation
as to why we do the things we do, but in the long run we are still stuck
with ourselves and we must make the best of it.
It is a good thing to know and understand ourselves.
In this way we can
better understand others and be able to get along with
them. In social situations
we can cope with others' foibles and in the workplace
we can cope with everyday
pressures. We all know what it is like to have
the phone ringing off the hook,
while at the same time your attention is demanded by
others who need something.
Those who have not learned to cope with this kind of
pressure soon display physical
discomforts, such as ulcers and headaches, and find that
they would rather be
somewhere else rather than at work. Those who remain
at home to raise families are also faced with difficult situations and
must use this coping mechanism in order to survive. Few men can appreciate
the pressure created by having to run a household and cope with demanding,
whiny kids at the same time. Only those who have developed a strong
coping mechanism and are highly organized are able to come through this
situation unscathed and with their sense of humor intact.
Life is one tough business. People use many
different methods of trying to
get through the day. Some turn to the Bible and
religion, while others use
crutches, such as drugs, food, cigarettes, or alcohol.
The majority, however, have
learned to be strong and are able to cope with all the
vagaries of life. People are
amazing in their individuality, and like the proverbial
cat that always lands on its
feet, we have learned to adapt by using this most wonderful
coping mechanism.
Without it, most of us would still be huddling in our
caves, afraid and tentative,
not willing to step out into the light of day.