Man should not try to avoid stress any more than he would shun food, love or exercise.

The quote “Man should not try to avoid stress any more than he would shun food, love or exercise” by Hans Selye challenges the common perception of stress as purely negative. Selye, an Austrian-Canadian endocrinologist and pioneer in the field of stress research, introduced the concept of “eustress”, or positive stress. Through this quote, he suggests that stress, like food, love, or exercise, is a natural and essential part of life that contributes to growth, adaptation, and resilience.

Selye believed that not all stress is harmful. Just as the body needs physical activity to stay strong and emotional connection to thrive, it also requires a certain amount of challenge and tension to perform well and evolve. Trying to eliminate stress entirely would be as unrealistic—and unhealthy—as depriving oneself of the vital experiences that make life meaningful.

By grouping stress with basic human needs, Selye reframes it as something to be understood and managed, not eliminated. The key lies in differentiating between chronic, destructive stress and motivational, healthy stress that pushes us to succeed, adapt, and grow. Avoiding stress altogether could lead to stagnation, just as avoiding love would mean avoiding connection, or avoiding food would mean malnourishment.

This perspective, groundbreaking in its time, laid the foundation for modern stress management techniques and psychological well-being practices. Selye’s quote ultimately encourages a more balanced view of stress—one that values it as a natural force in human life, to be embraced with wisdom rather than feared or avoided blindly.