Stress. It’s a part of life, no matter who you are, where you live, or how old you are. Stress has a nasty reputation for being something people should avoid at all cost because of how—you guessed it—stressful it is. However, stress is not necessarily negative at all. People often use it as the springboard for achieving more. Many find that stress motivates, energizes, and inspires them to work harder or faster. Unfortunately, stress frequently ends up being an unpleasant event for people. – “Bullying and Stress” What is the central idea of this passage? Stress inspires and motivates a person. Stress is an unpleasant event. Stress is experienced by everyone. Stress can have positive or negative effects.