The Quote

"Adversity has the effect of eliciting talents which in prosperous circumstances would have lain dormant." - Horace

Breaking it down

This quote just happened to be brought to me in my AP Lang class right when I was reflecting on this topic. There are a few components I identified that are needed for growth. This quote has two of them, but I think is one missing.

Adversity

     Adversity is the first component and the catalyst to change and growth. I like to think of adversity as similar to the mechanism of evolution. A species adapts to its environment because of certain conditions that make certain traits of a species more favorable to its survival. Without the conditions that force the species to change, there wouldn’t be growth—just like without adversity, growth would not have happened within an individual.

Prosperous Circumstances

The second component is prosperous circumstances. This component is similar to the mechanisms of bodybuilding. Adversity is the damage to the muscles of an individual when they go to the gym. Prosperous circumstances is the space in which they can recover from the damage to grow and keep them able to function. Without recovery, the muscle would not grow and rather become dysfunctional. Just like with adversity, there needs to be prosperous circumstances to bring out the talent within the person. But a big takeaway that I found in this reflection is the fact that adversity and growth are a privilege in the modern world. The mechanism of growth in things like bodybuilding, writing, academics, and things that aren’t essential to survival is a privilege that the wealthy and prosperous have the opportunity to partake in. The rich get richer through the opportunity to grow, while the less fortunate are handcuffed to their daily tasks of survival. However, not all wealthy people experience growth equally, and there’s an important reason for that.

Obsession

This brings me to the last component of growth which is missing in the quote, obsession. Without the obsession to improve one's life, it is extremely easy to acquiesce and sink back into a state of complacency, without ever wanting to grow. Ultimately, it is up to the person to obsess, persevere, and stay disciplined enough to stick through the commitments and challenges that they take on.

Conclusion

This reflection on the topic brought me to the belief that there is an extremely fine balance between fortunate circumstances and pestering adversity. The ideal circumstances that bring innovation are safe and full of opportunity, but far from perfect. These circumstances are only amplified when in conjunction with an individual who obsesses over the imperfections of their environment and seeks improvement in their life. In my vision, it’s a lower–class home in an extremely wealthy area and an individual exposed to the wealth and possibilities of improvement in their horizons. These ideal circumstances are safe, full of opportunity, and has an individual obsessed with the improvement of the status quo. As a result, their talents could spark innovation, and save lives, and it all begins with an effort for an individual’s selfish gain.

While I may have oversimplified the mechanisms of growth and the complex web of factors at play, I can’t find a beneficial reason to consider things you can’t control. If you think too deeply about something, you start to find that the odds are stacked against you, and you end up feeling paralyzed or helpless. This oversimplification is on purpose, “Preparing to do the thing isn’t doing the thing. Scheduling time to do the thing isn’t doing the thing. Telling people you are going to do the thing isn’t doing the thing. Reading about doing the thing isn’t doing the thing. Writing about your thoughts on a blog about doing the thing isn’t doing the thing.” The only real way to achieve your goals is by taking tangible steps toward them, no matter how small, and letting those steps build momentum. The key to growth is action—everything else is either preparation or an excuse to truly take action. I hope this quote justifies my naive simplification of adversity. While I’m sure my ideas may not be entirely original, but I hope they inspire your reflections and curiosity on the topic.