Hans Selye, the pioneer in the understanding of human stress, was often asked the following question: "What is the most stressful condition a person can face?" His unexpected response: "Not having something to BELIEVE in.

Selye discovered and documented that stress differs from other physical responses in that stress is stressful whether one receives good or bad news whether the impulse is positive or negative. He also pointed to an "alarm state" a "resistance state" and an "exhaustion state" largely referring to glandular states. Philadelphia: J.

He conducted much important scientific work on the hypothetical non-specific response of an organism to stressors. While he did not recognize all of the many aspects of glucocorticoids Selye was aware of their role in the stress response.