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That which doesn't kill us makes us stronger

Posted by Lewis on February 09, 2004

In Reply to: That which doesn't kill us makes us stronger posted by wendy on February 08, 2004

: I am working with this concept trying to make it into a cool-sounding book title.

: that idea is the theme of the book - the main character goes through a bunch of crap but comes out the other end better for it -- what do you call that?

: brainstorm with me!

The quotation is from Freidrich Nietschze - and I find it useful, even though on a physical level it may not always be true. I believe that he was talking about becoming psychologically stronger. For most people, a set-back can be something to learn from and to use.

A few years back, I unexpectedly lost my job - entirely out of the blue a 'job for life' situation disappeared. It was devastating at the time and took away my false feelings of job security - but following the philosophy espoused in Janis Joplin's classic "Me and Bobby McGee" (OK I know Kris Kristofferson did it first) - I accepted that "freedom's just another word for nothing else to lose" losing that work situation was liberating - I had been stuck in a rut without the courage to try something else - but I was given my freedom to re-evaluate how I saw the world of employment and now, even though I am more of a wage-slave than at first, am in a much more positive situation and much more in control of what I do.

I found that I could cope a lot better with change than I thought and now I do not find it intrinsically frightening. the same goes for most people who have been forced to face their fears in som eway or another - there is a confidence from being able to say "I came through that". To me that is strength.

So to conclude - another inspirational song - listen to "(Something inside) So Strong" by Labi Siffre - it is the song of an oppressed person who is "gonna do it anyway".

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