An alternate title might be “the duality of a personality as it pertains to physical exertion.”
For those of you still hanging around, let me explain.
I’m a very easy-going guy. I like to spend most of my time in idle, a life of languid rest, lost in thought, and generally as low on the stress meter as can be afforded before ceasing to breathe. I strive for the tranquil life.
When it comes to workouts, I flip my personality around 180*. Blood-lusting, mouth-foaming, irritable, flat out pissed off. Why is that? I’m glad you asked.
Personality Duality is what I’m calling it. I think that people who tend to run cool and easy need to swing the pendulum to the opposite end of the spectrum to fully ignite their latent exertional abilities; those who run toward the irritable, angry, grouchy side of the personality scale seem to do better with a calmer, more-focused intent during the workout. Think of the Yerkes-Dodson Curve:
So while Keith and I walk around like we might have left our brains in our workouts bags, someone like Henry Rollins runs at about 9000 rpm. This might be why I need Mastadon but Mr. Rollins (I don’t know the guy) prefers ballads.
Another observation: when it comes to drug use, those who are easy going like uppers (coffee, JACK3D), while the twitchy types tend toward downers. YMMV, but this is my observation.
Some of us expand to reach optimal stimulation while others contract. Excuse me while I unleash hell.
Skyler Tanner 