ATS - What doesn't kill you makes you stronger. True or False?

reply to post by FlyersFan

No it just pi##es me off again.I am the way I am for a reason,I am angered by suffering I am angered by many things we have done of us.But I learned to use my mind more effectively,pragmatic yet hopeful.The bad guys are blinking and whinning.I think ,as I always have,the truth is gonna come.

reply to post by FlyersFan


A flawed theory at best, Nietzsche is full of #. It would be best said "what does not kill will probably cripple you"

Or something along the lines of "what does not kill you and cripple you will in a small chance make you stronger"

But like another poster said, it just makes you more numb mostly.

Or as the joker said, "what does not kill you simply makes you stranger"


Or maybe, "what does not kill you simply missed the first time around"

Or better yet, "what does not kill you changes you"

Like I said a flawed theory at best.

reply to post by absolutely


You are correct absolutely.

Second.

reply to post by galadofwarthethird


It does make you "numb"...BUT... that's why it made me stronger (Just personally). By that, I mean that the hard times in my life, made me realize what is something to sweat about.... or not....at the MOMENT. What most people consider "catastrophic" in nature, is to me, a bump in the road. I don't mean to sound like I'm "special or anything"...many people cope this way. So yes...I have been "numbed"...but in a good way. I have seen the worst (pretty much), so when most things that freak most people out happen to me, I can 'shut down"....stop, and figure out how to make it through.....just because I know it can be much.... MUCH worse. I hope that makes sense. Now, I'm not saying it's a good thing, because it's never good to supress your feelings. I'm just saying it's a survival mechanism. So in that sense, it makes you stronger. If not for this, I would have taken the easy way out long ago. I realize having a terrible illness is something that can make you lose hope. I don't think anyone is a coward for not wanting to suffer. But none of us knows what tomorrow will bring, or even the next second. The world could come to an end, our illnesses may get much worse....OR a new cure could be found the next week. Just my way of looking at things. NEVER give up.

reply to post by StealthyKat

It does make you "numb"...BUT... that's why it made me stronger (Just personally).

Incorrect it just made you number. But your correct that it made you stronger. But it's best said that it just changed you for good or worse into what you are today.

What most people consider "catastrophic" in nature, is to me, a bump in the road. I don't mean to sound like I'm "special or anything"...many people cope this way.

Define "catastrophic" stealthy? Can you survive a bullet to the head, or even if you could what would be the point. Can you survive the death of your child, or of every single member of your family, or what if you were missing all your limbs, it's all catastrophic, and it will change you each and every time.

It's just a mental game we play in our head so that we can go on with our life's, your mountain might be someone else's molehill or vice versa. But in the end it simply changed you into what you are today.

So yes...I have been "numbed"...but in a good way. I have seen the worst (pretty much), so when most things that freak most people out happen to me, I can 'shut down"....stop, and figure out how to make it through.

So says the one who cant stomach to see animals hurt but has no problem seeing others going through the same things or worse. Strange no doubt you are.

just because I know it can be much.... MUCH worse

A coping mechanism, a survival mechanism like you said.

Just my way of looking at things. NEVER give up.

there are worse ways to look at it, and there are worse blows to receive.

But you know were not in a competition on the things we can take or have taken and kept going now are we stealthy? And in fact that is an impossible to factually do, but the mind strives for order and purpose. So we tell ourselves what we need or want to hear.

I have no doubt that you will never give up. Just like I have no doubt you have never faced some things. Things are different for everybody, in the end its the ego that tells us to compare and contrast between them and against others misfortunes. A pissing contest I would say.

I think there all true, and that there are a whole bunch of variations on this truth.

Originally posted by Iamschist
Words fail.

... I have no memory of huge parcels of time.

I do not think we get stronger or weaker. I think we learn our limits and we learn that we can survive going to them. We gain the knowledge of our strength.

I know that someone is going to read this and need this, whoever you are, I love you, hold on, just keep putting one foot in front of the other.(hug).

edit on 4-4-2012 by Iamschist because: to man nots

you're right, I needed this. Still fighting... I've gone through believing and loving God to being very very angry with him. I've only recently tried to re-connect with Him, and haltingly at that.
But I'm trying like hell to come back to 'reality'. 2 1/2 years now.

there are no words for the pain of a loss. There is no cure. I think we as humans just learn to cope, to deal with it. We have no choice. If we are lucky we believe in an afterlife and that gets us through.

I wouldn't say it makes you stronger. not at first. Angry, Numb, then hopefully Wiser.

reply to post by FlyersFan


Well.....feeling "stronger" to some may be a bit relative so, I'll go with this: I felt stronger but, in a different sense.

Adversity brings change. It takes strength to wade through the complexities of change to reach the new "norm".

It takes even more strength to accept the new "norm".

Even more to see through it......and grow from the awareness.

Then, even more strength to start the cycle all over again.

I'm not dead yet so, I'm gonna go with the "Makes You Stronger" argument

reply to post by horseplay


Thank you for your reply. I am 12yrs out, from the death of my Son during this time I lost both my parents. I am one of those it never rains people lol. Without the Lord I think I would be bitter and shriveled, but thanks to Him, I can laugh and love and enjoy life. I know I will see my family again. Feel free to pm me if you'd like an ear, I'm here.

Nothing kills you, your souls lives forever fooo

reply to post by galadofwarthethird

So says the one who cant stomach to see animals hurt but has no problem seeing others going through the same things or worse. Strange no doubt you are.

Well....I'm not sure what you mean by saying that I can't stand to see animals hurt but have NO PROBLEM seeing others going through much worse? Why would you think that?
I don't want to see ANY living thing hurt...

If you notice, I stressed that my post only applies to ME...I can't speak for anyone else Galad. There are all kinds of variables you can apply to this subject. I'm only speaking from MY life experience. I can't imagine losing all my limbs or many other scenarios, and I wouldn't pretend to....though I see what you're getting at. All we can do is take what we know from our own lives, and try to learn from it...and YES...derive strength from it.

It's all relative to each of our life experiences (on a side note, you have no way of knowing what my life experiences have been, any more than I do of yours) Every day, in my line of work, I listen first hand to sometimes horrific things. So I think I know how bad things can get. As you mentioned, one man's mountain is another man's molehill....and visa versa. Every man/woman has a point where they reach their limit. I just believe that you shouldn't go down without a fight. I'm no drama queen, just saying I have reasons for what I say and experience to back it up...and leave it at that.

So we tell ourselves what we need or want to hear.

Yes....that's true for most of us....

What doesn't kill you on the outside, kills you a tiny bit on the inside.

After all. Time wounds all heels.

The limit of withstanding adversity varies from person to person. This threshold is not unlike a muscle which needs to be gradually strengthened in order to lift heavier weights (more traumatic events). Just like a muscle it can easily tear and be permanently damaged if it attempts to lift too much weight without building up to it (like a child seeing a loved one murdered). I've had traumatic events occur in my life (6-inch chest scar and grey hair at 20 to prove that) but won't go into detail about my woes. However, when I discovered that there is a limit to expand, I then consciously went out and exposed myself to as many disturbing and traumatic experiences as possible to strengthen my mind. I watched animals being skinned alive, turtles smashed on the ground (Chinese markets), babies born with mutations or diseases, visited the VA hospital to see the old war veterans, and so much more. In time this mental "muscle" of mine has become impervious. There's little doubt that if someone who didn't gradually experience adversity or hardships in their life were to witness what I did, or experience what I have, then they would probably lose their mind or go into a mental stupor. Exploring my mind's limitations has always been a fascination of mine and was my primary reason for getting a B.A. in Psychology. A crucial part of life is suffering or seeing the "uglier" side to it. If these did not exist then people would not know what to appreciate from lack of comparison. I am not a cynical person or defeatist despite the above, I enjoy life much more actually.

StealthyKat is right, all anyone can do on this subject is talk from their own experiences.

I would say those things which don't do lasting physical damage can definitely make you stronger, if you can win out mentally.

Some things which don't kill you [today] can also make you stronger in the short term -- until you die from said things.

If we have an afterlife, we'll be stronger from such experiences.

I would say stronger,a little more thick skinned and resilient.
Maybe somewhat indifferent.
Definitely more knowledgeable on the truth,as it is presented.

reply to post by FlyersFan


Its false, my father had a triple bypass surgery over a year ago and since then he has only become weaker. Last week he had a stroke, and I'm afraid he will die within the next few months.

Originally posted by Jace26
reply to post by FlyersFan

 

Its false, my father had a triple bypass surgery over a year ago and since then he has only become weaker. Last week he had a stroke, and I'm afraid he will die within the next few months.

I am sorry for what you and your family is going through.


My farther in law had quadruple bypass done a few years ago,he pulled through that andthen was diagnosed with throat cancer.
He is still strong and getting through it one day at a time.

Peace to you and your family through this tough ordeal.

Like others have said, it really is based on the individual. I went from an abusive childhood to an abusive marriage, and had a whole lot of crap happen in between including the suicide of a parent. I was pretty much destroyed as a human being for a time. swinging back and forth from being depressed to completely numb. I had to make a conscious decision to become stronger because of it. It took a while to get to that point, but once I made up my mind that I was tired of being a shell of a person things started change. It didn't happen over night but now I am a stronger person than I would have been had I not experienced everything I went through.
I have had some crappy things happen to me since I got to this point and I pretty much had the "bring it on." mentality. I knew if I could survive my past, there is nothing I can't get through. Sure, I still have issues because of what I have gone though and I am pretty jaded and cynical at times. Also in certain events that should be considered stressful I have no emotional reaction i.e. I was in a serious car accident and felt completely indifferent to it, despite the fact that my car was totaled and I was mere inches away from being killed.

reply to post by FlyersFan


True. My tough life and upbringing has made me the stronger plus faith in my Higher Power.

reply to post by FlyersFan


Col 2:8 Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ.

Originally posted by jakeistheone

Originally posted by Jace26
reply to post by FlyersFan

 

Its false, my father had a triple bypass surgery over a year ago and since then he has only become weaker. Last week he had a stroke, and I'm afraid he will die within the next few months.

I am sorry for what you and your family is going through.


My farther in law had quadruple bypass done a few years ago,he pulled through that andthen was diagnosed with throat cancer.
He is still strong and getting through it one day at a time.

Peace to you and your family through this tough ordeal.

Thankyou, it isn't easy I know but my father is as tough as they get. His stroke was only minor, but our doctor stated he will have a major one probably within the next 90 days.
What makes me feel even worse is that my grandfather had one, then my father, and I'm certain it will one day happen to me. But I need to keep positive and not think that way.
Thanks for your kind words.