5 Zodiac Signs That Thrive Under Pressure

Pressure makes diamonds.

George S. Patton, Jr.

Losing your head in a crisis is a good way to become the crisis.

C. J. Redwine

Everyone has faced stressful, challenging, and seemingly impossible situations. It’s part of the human condition. But not everyone reacts the same way. Some people can be completely derailed by the slightest inconvenience; others, as Rudyard Kipling once famously said, are able to keep their heads while those around them are losing theirs. They show grace under fire. Or, as another famous saying goes, “When the going gets tough, the tough get going.”

These are five mentally strong zodiac signs most likely to respond positively and rationally during a crisis.

1. Capricorn

The worker ant of the zodiac, Capricorn is too focused and goal-oriented to get sidelined, waylaid, or distracted by obstacles or inconveniences. If anything, they use stressful circumstances like a pressure cooker uses steam—it’s just more energy to burn, more high-octane gasoline to propel them to the finish line more quickly. Being an Earth sign makes them more fundamentally grounded, and being ruled by Saturn gives them their pragmatic work ethic. Being problem-solvers by nature gives them the austere and above-it-all sense to never create extra problems by freaking out over the difficulties that face them.

2. Aquarius

Just like Capricorn, Aquarius is ruled by Saturn, which gives them a Zenlike persistence in the face of adversity. Their modality is fixed, which means that even hurricane-level winds won’t deter them from their goals. They are the most adept multitaskers of the zodiac and can handle a dizzying array of deadlines without breaking a sweat. Their daily To Do list is so extensive, and they routinely have to juggle such a multiplicity of projects, that the average person might faint even having to think of bearing such burdens. And yet Aquarius carries it all with an enviable calmness and the silent wisdom of the ancients.

3. Taurus

An Earth sign with a fixed modality, the Bull is one of the most fundamentally grounded of all the star signs. Give them a problem, and they’ll find a solution. Place them in a rainstorm, and they’ll find an umbrella. They never their emotions get the better of them, and they have a deep-rooted contempt for those who do. They do not suffer fools gladly, and they have little tolerance for drama queens and people who create unnecessary chaos. They are so stubbornly composed in the most fraught of situations that they are envied and resented by all the worry warts and nervous wrecks who always tend to make bad situations worse.

4. Libra

There’s a reason that Libra is symbolized by the Scales—they seek balance in every situation. They realize that unnecessarily fretting over a new problem only creates a second problem. And once there’s a second problem, it creates a snowballing effect where you are suddenly inundated in a whole avalanche of problems. Instead of being neurotic and imagining a worst-case scenario, they instead envision a best-case scenario and then work out a game plan. They simply don’t see what can ever be achieved by getting histrionic. Although this may make them appear ice-cold to others, they feel that it’s better to be cool as ice than to suffer from constant meltdowns.

5. Virgo

An Earth sign that is ruled by Mercury, Virgos are by nature diligent, cautious, and committed. They are the alpha perfectionists of the zodiac, always seeking to make things a little better with practical action rather than making things worse by letting fear and stress immobilize them. They are great at thinking on their feet and staying one step ahead of the curve. They always look on the bright side and never allow themselves to be swallowed up by the darkness. When life hands them lemons, they make lemonade—not only that, they’ll open a lemonade stand and profit from adversity.