There are both good and bad aspects of being a “high-coper.” Recall that “high-coping” people are those that deal well with adversity, at least superficially. The good aspects are they like to solve dilemmas and problems. They develop strategies well. They put ideas into actions that involve them doing something, usually taking some action or making a choice. They follow through thoroughly and do not leave issues hanging or unsolved. They get results because they make events happen. They make other people happy because of their problem-solving abilities. They are especially good at solving the problems of other people.
But, there is a downside, the bad aspects of “high-copers.” For one, because “high-copers” put out such effort to cope with huge problems, they frequently become exhausted. Their exhausted state leads to errors, disgruntlement, frustration and anger when tired and overextended. They make errors in the execution of their plans for solving the issue at hand. They may also cope with concerns for others that others do not want. They forget to ask what others want before jumping into action. They may also suffer what I call “backlash.” This means they perform well in the crisis of the moment only to fall apart after the crisis is over. When this happens they most often are berating themselves for not doing a good enough job during the crisis.
Are you a “high-coper?” Do you know any? Do you see both the good and bad aspects of their functioning?
