# What doesn't kill you can only make you stronger



## Rocklover639 (Jan 3, 2011)

So I'm starting to abide by this. I've made so many copies of this quote and decided to put then around my room,my car, and my phone wall paper. It really helped me out alot and it suggest you guys do the same with your favorite quote that you can relate too.


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## nothing else (Oct 27, 2013)

what if you got like in an accident and broke your spine so became paralyzed


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## WillYouStopDave (Jul 14, 2013)

This is obviously false. If it were true, no one would have SA caused by bad life experiences.

Trying to be positive is one thing. Propping up false information in the interest of being positive is another.


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## Rocklover639 (Jan 3, 2011)

Yeah well let's see who overcomes SAD first then shall we?


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## Str (Jun 4, 2013)

Aside from a few exceptions (like a coma or extreme war trauma), this is a very good mindset to live with. This can make you cope with almost anything that happens in your life if you do it right.


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## AngelClare (Jul 10, 2012)

I've been thinking along those lines too, especially today. A few months back I asked my boss for a raise because I'm not being paid the same as my coworkers. Today, I got my raise and it's nowhere near enough. 

This hurts my ego. But this is a good a thing. I want to destroy my ego. 

I feel like I'm not valued. I want to be valued. I want to be appreciated and admired. But that's the ego. That's not really me. It's the false self. So it burns, but I accept it because that's my ego burning. I want freedom from the constant demands and insecurities of the ego.

So, yes, what doesn't kill you can makes you stronger if you let it. Burning away the ego will make you stronger. Being embarrassed, humiliated, defeated all hurt but they can make you stronger.

There are other ways that misfortune can make you stronger, but the dying of the ego is one of them. It's a slow dramatic death.


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## Serephina (Apr 13, 2010)

Rocklover693: I'm afraid I also subscribe to the opposite point of view. I really hate that particular quote! The situations that have near-as-dammit killed me have only weakened me ...... physically, emotionally and mentally. 

But good luck to you if you find that quote inspiring and of course that is the important part of your post: to find a quote that you personally find inspiring and put copies of it around the place so that it keeps on inspiring ..... I do that.


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## Serephina (Apr 13, 2010)

AngelClare said:


> I've been thinking along those lines too, especially today. A few months back I asked my boss for a raise because I'm not being paid the same as my coworkers. Today, I got my raise and it's nowhere near enough.
> 
> This hurts my ego. But this is a good a thing. I want to destroy my ego.
> 
> ...


I don't understand. If you are doing the same work as your co-workers why would you accept less pay? Just from what you say in the above post, it doesn't sound as if 'ego' has anything to do with it. It sounds as if you are just saying that stuff to comfort yourself. Where did you get that 'ego' stuff from? Your boss? Your co-workers?


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## jamesjameson (Dec 30, 2013)

radiation dosent make youy stronger no matter what thos films say


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## damselfly (Jul 15, 2013)

"What doesn't kill you can only make you stronger"

That saying is such bull to me. If it were true then there wouldn't be plenty of different kinds of weak people in the world. Just because people survive harsh things doesn't mean that they are thriving.


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## ChrisSAS (Dec 7, 2013)

I say good on you! I try and live by that as much as I can. On a few occasions I feel like its a lie but the vast majority of the time it I find it helps heaps. If you need to be reminded of it I say plaster it everywhere. Good luck!


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## CopadoMexicano (Aug 21, 2004)

What doesnt kill you kills the spirit. "anonymous.


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## MuckyMuck (Oct 15, 2013)

jamesjameson said:


> radiation dosent make youy stronger no matter what thos films say


It depends, you have to be rushing somewhere and get hit by a truck carrying nuclear waste or be a scientist working on a edgy experiment that gets caught in a freak radiation explosion. Other than that, you're baked beans.

Regarding the topic, yeah the logic doesnt add up but it doesnt for most sayings so...yeah.


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## damselfly (Jul 15, 2013)

CopadoMexicano said:


> What doesnt kill you kills the spirit. "anonymous.


I agree with this. It slowly chips away at you.


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## Serephina (Apr 13, 2010)

CopadoMexicano said:


> What doesnt kill you kills the spirit. "anonymous.


So true.


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## Auld Crabbit (Jan 17, 2014)

Str said:


> Aside from a few exceptions (like a coma or extreme war trauma), this is a very good mindset to live with. This can make you cope with almost anything that happens in your life if you do it right.


I developed Post Traumatic Stress Disorder as a result of my children being in a car-wreck that put my daughter in a coma.

Sometimes what doesn't kill you just breaks you and crushes your spirit to the point where you more or less just become dead inside and every day is just about going through the motions.


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## Str (Jun 4, 2013)

Auld Crabbit said:


> I developed Post Traumatic Stress Disorder as a result of my children being in a car-wreck that put my daughter in a coma.
> 
> Sometimes what doesn't kill you just breaks you and crushes your spirit to the point where you more or less just become dead inside and every day is just about going through the motions.


This is one of the extreme cases I was talking about. This kind of situation would break anyone, I can't even imagine how bad this must feel.

"What doesn't kill you can only makes you stronger" works as a mentality to help people more resistant against relatively small setbacks. For the problems like yours all you can do is get solace from people you trust.

Hang in there, you can always count on support from the people on this forum.


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## CharmedOne (Jun 1, 2013)

CopadoMexicano said:


> What doesnt kill you kills the spirit. "anonymous.


^This.



Auld Crabbit said:


> I developed Post Traumatic Stress Disorder as a result of my children being in a car-wreck that put my daughter in a coma.
> 
> Sometimes what doesn't kill you just breaks you and crushes your spirit to the point where you more or less just become dead inside and every day is just about going through the motions.


I'm so sorry for what you've gone through.


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## MrKappa (Mar 18, 2013)

This quote blows me away, "There is no Justice, Just us" - Richard Pryor

If you have no idea who the guy is, the wikipedia gives a great summary on him. Is it me, or do wikipedia pages for dead people look entirely different.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Pryor#Early_life

Anyways, imagine this guy going on stage talking about daily truths in his life, only to be laughed at by an audience of thousands. Absolutely crazy.


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## JakeBoston1000 (Apr 8, 2008)

op great in theory but im here to tell you it isn't true in all cases. sometimes life throws way way too much horrible **** your way and all it does in the end is weaken you and most likely make you bitter. Kind of like me.


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## MrKappa (Mar 18, 2013)

^Then you haven't hit absolute rock bottom yet. Highly recommended.


I admit though, I watched this one guy in the hospital with a terminal illness, lose his job, wife, and basically everything in a few short months. One day he decided not to wake up. So yeah, but that killed him.


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## damselfly (Jul 15, 2013)

Str said:


> This is one of the extreme cases I was talking about. This kind of situation would break anyone, I can't even imagine how bad this must feel.
> 
> "What doesn't kill you can only makes you stronger" works as a mentality to help people more resistant against relatively small setbacks. For the problems like yours all you can do is get solace from people you trust.
> 
> Hang in there, you can always count on support from the people on this forum.


But the saying "What doesn't kill you can only make you stronger" doesn't state which circumstances are easier or harder to get through. It's either all or nothing or it is just relative. There are people that have ended their own lives over much smaller things than dealing with a child that was in a car accident. So are those people just weaker then? That is why I hate the saying because it is not a one size fits all but is presented as such.


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## Auld Crabbit (Jan 17, 2014)

damselfly said:


> But the saying "What doesn't kill you can only make you stronger" doesn't state which circumstances are easier or harder to get through. It's either all or nothing or it is just relative. There are people that have ended their own lives over much smaller things than dealing with a child that was in a car accident. So are those people just weaker then? That is why I hate the saying because it is not a one size fits all but is presented as such.


"If you manage to get over something that was bothering you, then it probably wasn't that big of a deal to begin with" seems like a more accurated axom.


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## damselfly (Jul 15, 2013)

Auld Crabbit said:


> "If you manage to get over something that was bothering you, then it probably wasn't that big of a deal to begin with" seems like a more accurated axom.


Now that's a real crappy saying. Just because a person is no longer focused on something that happened to them doesn't mean that is wasn't important to them at one time or another. Actually they still could be thinking about it but are now just keeping it to themselves. We don't always know what people are privately going through.


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## damselfly (Jul 15, 2013)

damselfly said:


> Just because a person is no longer focused on something that happened to them doesn't mean that is wasn't important to them at one time or another.


Just because a person is no longer focused on something that happened to them doesn't mean that it wasn't important to them at one time or another.

I quoted myself to fix spelling.


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## ctguy130 (Sep 14, 2013)

Most maxims if taken absolutely literally, would need to be followed with pages upon pages of exceptions and modifications (which is why whole libraries of commentary can be written on simple legal principles).

That said, what doesn't kill you can make you stronger IF you learn the right lessons from it. And that word "stronger" applies to many dimensions (physical, intellectual, self control, empathy)

My variation was "no experience need ever be useless", something could be learned from it. Something I used to tell myself after a blown job interview.


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## damselfly (Jul 15, 2013)

ctguy130 said:


> Most maxims if taken absolutely literally, would need to be followed with pages upon pages of exceptions and modifications (which is why whole libraries of commentary can be written on simple legal principles).
> 
> That said, what doesn't kill you can make you stronger IF you learn the right lessons from it. And that word "stronger" applies to many dimensions (physical, intellectual, self control, empathy)


The problem to me is when someone puts their definition onto other people. People experience things differently. Even people going through the same circumstances.

Also, I don't feel everything has to have a lesson. Sometimes things just happen and you live on.


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## Rocklover639 (Jan 3, 2011)

So lately I've been doing things I fear like calling people through the phone and talking to people and going places I would never go due to this quote. I always tell myself " I'm not going to die or get beat up by doing this" which is why I fear people sometimes and then I go ahead with doing what I feared and it's working! Another quote I always live by " If it makes you happy, then do it." Glad to see everyones pov on the meaning and what it means to them.


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## ctguy130 (Sep 14, 2013)

Rocklover639 said:


> So lately I've been doing things I fear like calling people through the phone and talking to people and going places I would never go due to this quote. I always tell myself " I'm not going to die or get beat up by doing this" which is why I fear people sometimes and then I go ahead with doing what I feared and it's working! Another quote I always live by " If it makes you happy, then do it." Glad to see everyones pov on the meaning and what it means to them.


Just got gently brushed off, I think (bit vague), by a co-worker who I sent a "I would like to get to know you better" note. Pity, she was kind, didn't ignore me (she works at a different facility, I see her maybe once a month, so she could have without much embarrassment), left her number for me to call, and talked to me directly when I called.

I'm glad I sent the note at any rate. Nothing ventured...


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## apx24 (Jan 31, 2012)

Just because something doesn't kill you straight away doesn't mean that it won't kill you over time/in the long run.


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## damselfly (Jul 15, 2013)

apx24 said:


> Just because something doesn't kill you straight away doesn't mean that it won't kill you over time/in the long run.


Just like death isn't always quick and painless. Sometimes it is slow and agonizing.


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## Str (Jun 4, 2013)

apx24 said:


> Just because something doesn't kill you straight away doesn't mean that it won't kill you over time/in the long run.


Anything will kill you if you wait long enough.

Maybe we need to reformulate the saying, and even then it can not be applied to everyone and every situation (quotes and sayings don't work that way). It could be better to say something like: "Try to learn from negative experience if possible, you may be able to use the experience to stand up stronger and use it to improve your life."


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## damselfly (Jul 15, 2013)

MrKappa said:


> This quote blows me away, "There is no Justice, Just us" - Richard Pryor
> 
> If you have no idea who the guy is, the wikipedia gives a great summary on him. Is it me, or do wikipedia pages for dead people look entirely different.
> 
> ...


That's what comedians do. They strive to get laughs on topics related to the mundane and tragic events in their life and the lives of others.

Interesting that some people wouldn't know who Richard Pryor is. I guess it depends on the generation or a person's interest in comedy history.


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## ineverwipe (Jun 16, 2013)

What doesn't make you stronger can only kill you


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## Lish3rs (May 5, 2013)

This is so true as long as you heal and grow from it.


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## cesarfrom1992 (Nov 16, 2012)

*Shouldn't we be grateful then, for having social anxiety in the first place?*


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