Trinity College School - Record Yearbook (Port Hope, Ontario Canada)

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Gavin lnce Langmuir Writing Awards First Prize Essay Perseuerance - On a Bike or in a Prison Camp veryone has heard such expressions as, hard work will do you good or you appreciate good things most after you have experienced bad, and while some people will agree with g g this advice, others may DOI, Usually such advice comes from a well-meaning parent trying to ' make you tougher and a better person. Friedrich Nietzsche coined a phrase to the same effect only his wording was a little harsher. What does not kill me makes me stronger, is the way he chose to express the idea that whatever suffering one endures during his lifetime will actually help him or make him a better person. The idea of suffering must be examined so as to determine the validity of Nietz- sche's statement, for suffering includes the concepts of physical pain, mental stress, and emotional trouble, When undertaking a lengthy physical activity such as a l00-mile bike ride, all three forms of suffering surface. For the first 50 miles there is no pain whatsoever. but by the 75th mile the mind develops a concern for physical problems and pain - Will the legs be strong enough to finish the ride? When they reach a point of extreme pain and scream at you to stop, it becomes necessary to turn off the suf- fering ofthe body and call on the emotions for help. The emotions can be counted on to say things such as. prove you're a man or show you've got guts, until about the 95 mile marker. At this point you've almost arrived but, not only is the body suffering now, even the emotional encouragement has reversed itself saying, What the hell are you doing here or give it up you foolish masochistf' Now you're running on empty and only sheer willpower and mental ability, to block out the pain and think ahead, will get you through. Lfpon arrival there is no elation, for it takes awhile before the actual accomplishment sinks in. When at last you have recovered, there is nothing but good feelings as you have proven to yourself that the mind can override the emphatic pleas of the body and the emotions. Your endurance has made you stronger in all three ways: The body is more physically fit: The emotions are saying, What an achievement! and the mind is now capable of encouraging the body to go to even greater heights as it is now aware ofthe ov er-all capacity increase.