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We are accustomed to consider anxiety as a curse: we are ashamed of it and strive to “cure”. It seems that only those who have nerves of steel can achieve something in our world. But it is not. Anxiety has its benefits.
The term “neurasthenia” was coined in 1869 by the American physician George Miller. He believed that it was a disease of urban dwellers, knowledge workers – in this way they pay for life and work in a rapidly becoming more complex society.
Since then, increased nervous excitability has long been a common occurrence. Today we are probably living in the most disturbing era of all. Psychologist Robert Leahy delivered the following verdict: “The average high school student today has the same level of anxiety as the average psychiatric patient in the 1950s.”
Journalist Scott Stossel devoted an entire book to the phenomenon of anxiety, The Age of Anxiety. He admits: yes, today we are overwhelmed by a real epidemic of anxiety disorders. But if you look, in itself this quality is not so bad. The ability to experience danger has evolved as our brains have grown in complexity. Without it, we would not be able to survive and protect ourselves.
Stossel suggests going further and thinking: what if there is no way to get rid of anxiety without losing some important benefit? “My anxiety can be unbearable,” he admits. She gives me a lot of pain. But, perhaps, in some sense, this is a gift or the reverse side of the coin, which should not be rushed to exchange.
1. Anxiety is a disease of poets, artists and artists
Genuine art is impossible without mental suffering – this idea is found even in Aristotle. The ability to capture the subtlest shades of moods, the meaning of words, the nuances of artistic images – all this often has to be paid with sleepless nights full of doubts and self-abasement.
At the same time, many great people who suffered from anxiety found a source of inspiration in its manifestations. Woody Allen, for example, has made his neurotic temperament a trademark. And for some, the fragility of the nervous system has become an occasion to introspect and learn to control it. “Education of the senses” became one of the main points of the ethical and philosophical creed of John Stuart Mill, as he himself admitted.
2. High anxiety often accompanies high intelligence
According to psychologist Dean Simonton, a third of the world’s leading scientists were prone to increased anxiety. He suggests that the same mechanisms underlie increased nervousness and a tendency to think outside the box.
Worry makes us constantly demand more of ourselves, look for better solutions, and criticize ourselves. Of course, taken to the point of absurdity, nervousness can completely crush our desire to take risks and go towards the new. “Anxiety alone will not make us a Nobel laureate, a poet or a scientist,” emphasizes Scot Stossel. “But if you curb your anxious temperament, it can help us in our work.”
3. Anxious workers are the most reliable
Psychologist Jerome Kagan, who has studied anxiety for over half a century, sees anxious people as valuable employees. He describes them as “conscientious and maniacally meticulous”. Neurotic people are characterized by increased thoughtfulness, purposefulness and organization. They tend to weigh the consequences of their actions. They rarely take unjustified risks, and besides, they carefully take care of their health.
4. Anxious people get along well with others.
Philosophers Charles Sanders Peirce and John Dewey believed that the reluctance to experience such unpleasant sensations as shame and guilt served as a psychological incentive to behave in accordance with moral standards. Fear of appearing awkward or being rude makes anxious people to be polite and considerate. In addition, you can count on the fact that they will be faithful to partners in marriage.
5. Anxious people are less likely to get stuck in stories.
From anxious people, we are unlikely to hear exciting tales of hitchhiking across multiple continents or dangerous stunts at altitude. But they are less likely to die in an accident or get injured in a fight.
Unlike extreme people, their nervous system is more sensitive to excitement. If there are tightrope walkers or stuntmen among anxious people, there is no doubt: they will not perform a trick if they themselves are not 100% sure of their preparation.
6. Anxiety Helps You Succeed
It seems that success and anxiety are incompatible qualities. But it is not so. We just think that the most confident and impulsive people are ideal for the role of leaders.
Neuropsychologist Jeremy Coplan believes leaders need more than ever qualities such as caution, deep analysis of the problem, and picky task performance. Stossel recalls that the financial crisis of 2008 was caused not least by the carelessness of the main players, who, in the pursuit of profit, forgot about caution.