Having three ‘Cs’ reduces stress

Last week we discussed the case of John, an individual who seemed to be happy with himself and his job. John’s reaction to stress and pressure didn’t seem to follow the usual steps. Individuals who react adversely to stress follow a pattern of:

Perceiving the situation as threatening and stressful;
Reacting with resistance;
Experiencing exhaustion after a period of time.


John seemed not only to enjoy his work and the pressures associated with it, but also seemed to thrive on what others would call negative stress. John possessed a desirable combination of a good self concept and job fulfillment.

Researchers in psychology have labeled individuals like John “hardy personalities.” They posses what has been termed the three “Cs:”

Control. They have a sense of control of what goes on in their lives.
Challenge. They see change as a natural part of life, a challenge rather than a threat.
Commitment. They feel a sense of commitment to their work, rather than alienation from this work.


Let us examine these three Cs.

Control. John comes home at the end of the day with a feeling of having put in a full day’s work, without the feeling of being all used up or having been put through the wringer. Unlike individuals who react to their daily schedule in a negative manner, he does not feel depressed or exhausted. Instead, he has energy left for hobbies, his family and community participation.

In his productive day, he feels that his input and ideas are valued. He feels he has some influence over most areas of his life. Instead of feeling helpless with the options he faces, his ability, imagination, past experience and skills are at his disposal when coping with new situations. John has control. It is that control that creates a resistance to stress by making us believe that it is our actions that make things happen, rather than chance or outside influences.

Challenge. People who are challenged believe that change is normal and inevitable part of life. They don’t dread change or see it as a threat, but instead see it as an opportunity for new development. Challenge is future-oriented. Few challengers have a tendency to cling to the past.

Commitment. Commitment means involvement in what one is doing, a “oneness” with the job rather than a tendency to pull away and escape. Committed people tend to become a part of things rather than standing aside and looking into situations. Commitment involves action rather than passivity, embracing life rather than pulling away from it.

Further research is being conducted to find out more about how some people adopt the three Cs as a way of looking at life. These hardy personalities seem to be able to go on year after year in the same career direction, actually becoming more proficient at what they do instead of burning out and suffering from the ill effects of stress.

My experience with individuals who seem to possess the three Cs has shown me that frequently come from backgrounds where their parents had the same outlook on life. They have been in work situations, particularly early in their lives, where their supervisors and employers helped them to feel challenged, committed and in control. Their innovation and creativity on the job was highly valued and encouraged.

When these individuals made mistakes, the supervisor and employer took the time to point out how these mistakes could be correct without making the individual feel unsuccessful and worthless. These hardy personality types had the opportunity for decision making at a level appropriate to their experience. They were made to feel that they really did matter in the scheme of things and were much more than an employee drawing a paycheck.

We will be discussing this topic again in the future as a way of developing resistance to stress, emphasizing that developing a hardy personality is a very worthwhile goal in today’s society.

Harold H. LeCrone, Jr., Ph.D. Copyright 1984