Lauding coping mechanisms as a brilliant way to achieve success is missing several points. Coping mechanisms are cobbled together, makeshift things, which more often than not provide hindrance later. Much of psychotherapy is based around unlearning poor coping mechanisms, and learning or relearning solid strategies for dealing with crisis. The concept of crisis strategies being useful is valid, but shooting for coping mechanisms without the trauma that creates the need for them is imitating MacGuyver instead of engineers; sure, the paperclip shoestring worked in the moment, but it’s hardly the ideal solution.
Lauding coping mechanisms as a brilliant way to achieve success is missing several points. Coping mechanisms are cobbled together, makeshift things, which more often than not provide hindrance later. Much of psychotherapy is based around unlearning poor coping mechanisms, and learning or relearning solid strategies for dealing with crisis. The concept of crisis strategies being useful is valid, but shooting for coping mechanisms without the trauma that creates the need for them is imitating MacGuyver instead of engineers; sure, the paperclip shoestring worked in the moment, but it’s hardly the ideal solution.