Hysterical strength

Hysterical strength is the (anecdotal) observation that people have superhuman strength when under intense pressure. For example, an otherwise normal person being able to lift a car to save their family member who got stuck under. Hysterical strength is the "break in case of emergency" of human anatomy.

The implication here is that we have a huge reservoir of strength that we cannot tap into under ordinary consequences. Why? Possible explanations:

• Self-protection: we are strong enough to accidentally break our bodies if our strength isn't regulated, so there might be an unconscious "Central Governor" who protects us... from ourselves.
• Energy-conservation: if we could use 100% of our strength at will, would we have the strength when we really needed it? It's evolutionarily smart to always leave a bit of gas in the tank, just in case.

You can apply the idea to mental strength as well (sometimes called "surge capacity" in this context). You can work scarily hard when it's required of you. Today you think you're working your hardest, and next week multiple life stressors hit simultaneously, you must push through, and you realize you had probably double the capacity than you think you had.

But like with your body, there's probably a good reason why we cannot use this strength at will, at least easily. Intense stress causes mental damage like burnout and dissociation, similar to how intense physical stress leads to torn muscles and tendons.

How can knowledge of hysterical strength's existence benefit us?

• Use constraints smartly to make progress faster than you thought possible. If you want a clean home, invite everyone over in 2 days. If you want to finish your presentation, schedule a meeting with your director for next week.
• You don't need to give up when your body tells you to. If I'm shoveling snow or chopping wood and I get tired, I know I have at least 2 hours left in me. (Just don't get injured in the process.)
• Take on bigger challenges, your mind and body can probably handle it. Just ensure you get enough rest after.

Many people who have been "tested" are in part happy about it, as they now know what they are capable of. It brings confidence to know that you are much stronger than you think.

• Wikipedia