That which does not kill you only makes you stronger.

[Erik]

That which does not kill you only makes you stronger.
Friedrich Nietzsche

[rubybeetle]

That's the truth! Even in the garden. The pepper plant that almost died came back bigger and plentiful than it's sister plant. It's funny how many ways this applies.

[Empi]

As much as I like the quote and hate to disagree, I have to say it's not entirely true:

Take a car accident that leaves a family member crippled. The victim can no longer walk or live life according to his niche. Do you consider him to be stronger?

It's a good quote, but Nietzsche didn't consider the implications.

[rubybeetle]

Originally Posted by Empi

The victim can no longer walk or live life according to his niche. Do you consider him to be stronger?

Physically, maybe not. Now that victim has the choice to grow stronger mentally and spiritually-or give in and die.

[Empi]

Physically, 'maybe' not? Am I missing something there?

Admitedly, there can be some mental growth there, but traumatic experiences are like that, and the victim has just as much of a chance deteriorating psychologically as he/she does growing.

It's really a chance/fate thing (depending which you believe in), but is that enough to justify the quote? I'm arguing a no on this one.

[rubybeetle]

Originally Posted by Empi

Physically, 'maybe' not? Am I missing something there?

I put myself in the victims situation, and I decided if my mind is still intact, I can still meditate and grow spiritually (making the soul stronger). If I choose not to, I see it as giving up. By giving up, the accident ultimately kills me.

This is my impression of the quote, how does Nietzsche explain it? I'll admit, I don't know much about Nietzsche, except for a few quotes. Hmmm......guess it's time to educate myself...

[Empi]

lol, you said 'physically, maybe not', so I was pointing out that the maybe should probably turn into a 'definitely'.

I'm in agreement that there's the potential for mental strength, but again, it becomes subjective to the indicidual's values and capacities.

[rubybeetle]

Oh I got it

[eYoon]

what doesn't kill you can only make you stronger... if you can recover from what didn't kill you.

for me, adding that makes it have so much more sense to me.

[disgruntled]

lol..... i once saw a documentry on happiness and they found that people have a base level of happiness and no matter what happens they will be just as happy..... so if someone wins the lottery, but is a miserable person it won't make them happier. and if you are a happy person and lose your legs, then you will be just as happy.

the point of the documentry is to show how what we need to change is our out look on a situation more so than the actual situation.

i guess this kinda contradicts the quote, but i think that it is more of an extension of it.... we can over come any obsticle with a positive out look and the worse the situation the better practice we are getting at learning to be positive.

hopefully that makes sense...