Whether or not we perceive a stressor as threatening is unique to each of us, usually determined by a combination of past experiences, genetics, and the meaning we give to something. In other words, the same event might create stress in one person but not another. For example, although running a marathon is a huge physiological stressor, it’s unlikely you’d perceive it as a threat if you signed up for it, trained for it, and had friends cheering you on. Because you have control, you would perceive the experience as meaningful rather than threatening. You can imagine it would feel very
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