"that which does not kill me makes me stronger" give a GOOD explanation of it.?

"that which does not kill me makes me stronger" give a GOOD explanation of it.?i hear this Neitzschean apothegm quoted all the time, by glib people. but it doesn't seem to mean anything. either it's just plain false, or it's trivial.

FALSE: obviously there are millions of things that don't kill me, but also don't make me stronger. The number 128945634 doesn't kill me, and it doesn't make me any stronger. People from the past don't kill me, and don't make me stronger. Atoms on planets in faraway solar systems, etc. etc.

Some things that won't kill me can make me weaker, in fact: Gout, Ross River Fever, etc.

TRIVIAL: so it looks like Neitzsche means, "that which interacts with me, and tests me, and doesn't make me weaker, makes me stronger", but this just seems like a way of saying "that which makes me stronger makes me stronger", which is trivial.

So PLEASE give a good account, or tell everybody to stop saying this!!!

Saint CaRooo
Long distance running.

Somebody
~~its like saying the tougher that things are that you go through, you learn from those times, and the next time you face the same situation you take what you have learned making it easier to go through the same things, thus, you are stronger for what you have learned. if it killed you you could not get stronger, so if it don't kill you you have the opportunity to learn from it, work through it and grow from it... making you a stronger person... maybe not physically but emotionally, educationally and mentally stronger.~~

mel
Something that is percieved to hurt you ( a kick in the balls, perhaps) will not kill you, but make you stronger (in the effect that you MIGHT think that next time you will PROTECT yourself and therefore are wiser.

So if you learn from something that has pained you, you have gained knowledge in how to avoid it in the future. Like sticking your hand in an unguarded fan blade.

mxamy
Well, I thought when I would for sure lose my art contest...I did lose...but it made me try harder do better and in my mind set made me stronger...more tough skinned about critisism.....I won the next year.

diasporas
A simple example is when you break your arm. You're definitely weakened in this condition, right? Under a certain age, the healing of the bone which occurs, actually strengthens it, making you stronger than prior to it. That's a physical example. There are emotional and mental examples too. All said "exercises" mental, emotional, and physical, I'd argue fall into this category. You suffer some weakness (think of muscle pain and fatigue) at the time, but then there is an increase in strength.

Know better? Leave your own answer in the comments! Gout - information, symptoms and treatments. Googout.info health information factsheet - advice on gout and its symptoms, causes and treatment, plus prevention through diet.

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