What doesn't kill you makes you weaker

Kelly Clarkson obviously sang the song "What doesn't kill you makes you stronger" which became extremely popular to the point so many people have been using that quote in so many serious situations.

Do you deeply agree? We all know we don't always have to agree with some songs lyrics, right? But apparently, that quote was originally from a German philosopher named Friedrich Nietzsche ("That which does not kill us makes us stronger.")...

Still agreeing with his philosophy on that one?

Is that an untrue saying only meant to cheer us up and make us feel stronger? Or is it not?

Assuming a 10 year-old child got amputated and had been in a coma for 50 years looking like a vegetable on photosynthesis. It did not kill him but he became stronger, right? His strict dad forced him to live in the misery called coma to make him "stronger" because he doesn't want his son to die. It was a success. After an extra 20 years, the dad died but his son woke up from the coma, permanently traumatized for the rest of his life. He became stronger than ever at age 80!

I know it's a cool story, bro, but check out this nice article about why things that don't kill you make you weaker...:

http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/insight-therapy/201008/what-doesnt-kill-you-makes-you-weaker

Do you agree with it?

Kelly Clarkson obviously sang the song "What doesn't kill you makes you stronger" which became extremely popular to the point so many people have been using that quote in so many serious situations.

Do you deeply agree? We all know we don't always have to agree with some songs lyrics, right? But apparently, that quote was originally from a German philosopher named Friedrich Nietzsche ("That which does not kill us makes us stronger.")...

Still agreeing with his philosophy on that one?

Is that an untrue saying only meant to cheer us up and make us feel stronger? Or is it not?

Assuming a 10 year-old child got amputated and had been in a coma for 50 years looking like a vegetable on photosynthesis. It did not kill him but he became stronger, right? His strict dad forced him to live in the misery called coma to make him "stronger" because he doesn't want his son to die. It was a success. After an extra 20 years, the dad died but his son woke up from the coma, permanently traumatized for the rest of his life. He became stronger than ever at age 80!

I know it's a cool story, bro, but check out this nice article about why things that don't kill you make you weaker...:

http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/insight-therapy/201008/what-doesnt-kill-you-makes-you-weaker

Do you agree with it?

Woah, that's one extreme example. Maybe that wouldn't make him stronger, but I think there are plenty of instances where the saying holds true... And I never took that saying to mean what doesn't LITERALLY kill you. I thought it could also be for people who are just going through a rough time... not just people who might die.

Interesting read, though.

I'm still alive and my muscles just keep growing!

Kelly Clarkson obviously sang the song "What doesn't kill you makes you stronger" which became extremely popular to the point so many people have been using that quote in so many serious situations.

Do you deeply agree? We all know we don't always have to agree with some songs lyrics, right? But apparently, that quote was originally from a German philosopher named Friedrich Nietzsche ("That which does not kill us makes us stronger.")...

Still agreeing with his philosophy on that one?

Is that an untrue saying only meant to cheer us up and make us feel stronger? Or is it not?

Assuming a 10 year-old child got amputated and had been in a coma for 50 years looking like a vegetable on photosynthesis. It did not kill him but he became stronger, right? His strict dad forced him to live in the misery called coma to make him "stronger" because he doesn't want his son to die. It was a success. After an extra 20 years, the dad died but his son woke up from the coma, permanently traumatized for the rest of his life. He became stronger than ever at age 80!

I know it's a cool story, bro, but check out this nice article about why things that don't kill you make you weaker...:

http://www.psycholog...akes-you-weaker

Do you agree with it?  

No offense but this post makes me want to get physically violent with you. Do you understand that those cute little sayings people throw around like "what doesn't kill you makes you stronger" are just comforting words to make you feel better? They are amusements, they are not generally true. It also makes me unreasonably angry that Kelly Clarkson gets an "obviously" while Nietzsche is apparently some obscure philisophical figure... the name Nietzsche gets thrown around and abused A LOT in pop psychology and pop philosophy, and he actually did have a lot of interesting things to say besides that.

ugh, it's time for drinking

It's ok, some people want to get physically violent with me... It's how I live in this boring world to keep myself entertained anyway LOL.

I made someone mad and go drink out of this post, success.

Depends on how close you were to death and the kind of help you got afterwards. Most people use that phrase for broken relationships or other trivial first world problems anyway, so it's rare that people are actually exposed to certain death when they throw that phrase around. But yeah, if you were staring down the barrel of a gun of your neighbor who was there to rob you and you miraculously survived because the police came in the nick of time...does that make you stronger? Sounds like a formula for PTSD to me. But if you just got over a bad breakup, then sure, I bet you won't date the same kind of jackass you did the first time around.

The quote, "What doesn't kill you makes you stronger" is actually an old saying. The songwriter did not create it.

When people say, "What doesn't kill you makes you stronger", they are usually referring to a difficult time in one's life that does not involve one's health condition. It is commonly used by those who are trying to stay positive in a difficult situation or by those who are trying to encourage someone not to give up. To compare it to someone who is a vegetable or have a terminal illness, that is a big extreme. The saying cannot be referred to everything that goes wrong in a person's life.

.. though you can technically look at the situation in another way. Yes, the person does become weaker physically and emotionally, but they are still stronger in the sense that their body has not totally given up on them yet.

I think what doesn't kill you makes you wiser, is more appropriate. 

There are things I don't agree with in that article. It's suggesting trauma makes us weaker, and if we do become "stronger" it's not because of the trauma but in spite of. But it depends on the person whether or not they become stronger or weaker after something traumatic (really, that's totally dependable on the person and their stability), and in my opinion there are cases when something you endure can make you emotionally, mentally or even physically stronger, or as I said before, wiser. 

i think if one has never experienced tough, difficult situations, one will never understand the saying.

and rachilde, yes, that is PTSD.

i've experienced something like that... and that situation is what i thought of when i read this thread.

you can't get over something like that in a blink of an eye, that is where the 'stronger' part comes in.

i could have taken the 'weaker' part and blame everything on that situation.

i could have just lived in constant fear and hid away forever, but i refuse.

it takes bravery to refuse to give up.

so, one can say, 'what doesn't kill you make you weaker', (debbie downers!!!!) haha.

but i like to stick to 'what doesn't kill you make you stronger,'

I think what doesn't kill you makes you wiser, is more appropriate. 

There are things I don't agree with in that article. It's suggesting trauma makes us weaker, and if we do become "stronger" it's not because of the trauma but in spite of. But it depends on the person whether or not they become stronger or weaker after something traumatic (really, that's totally dependable on the person and their stability), and in my opinion there are cases when something you endure can make you emotionally, mentally or even physically stronger, or as I said before, wiser. 

I don't mean to be pedantic, but I prefer stronger. Simply because it can mean much more than just wise. Wise implies that they've learnt from the experience and know whether to repeat or not repeat the mistake. Stronger implies resilience - so if something does happen, they may still make the same mistakes, but they can deal with it better?

That which doesn't kill me actually makes me wonder.

Like every time I eat my own cooking.  I wonder, "man how did I survive that?"

What doesn't kill you may allow you to become stronger.

Make mistakes. Learn from them. That's the general formula no?

Perhaps it is alluding to the fact that what was once thought as necessary, one chooses to live without.

I think it's about perspective.

Example? Losing your eyesight. Instead of moping around, your other senses become sharper. Maybe the next kung fu master.

Take the same person, and let them have a pessimistic view, and they believe they are crippled.

Meh

Kelly Clarkson obviously sang the song "What doesn't kill you makes you stronger" which became extremely popular to the point so many people have been using that quote in so many serious situations.

Do you deeply agree? We all know we don't always have to agree with some songs lyrics, right? But apparently, that quote was originally from a German philosopher named Friedrich Nietzsche ("That which does not kill us makes us stronger.")...

Still agreeing with his philosophy on that one?

Is that an untrue saying only meant to cheer us up and make us feel stronger? Or is it not?

Assuming a 10 year-old child got amputated and had been in a coma for 50 years looking like a vegetable on photosynthesis. It did not kill him but he became stronger, right? His strict dad forced him to live in the misery called coma to make him "stronger" because he doesn't want his son to die. It was a success. After an extra 20 years, the dad died but his son woke up from the coma, permanently traumatized for the rest of his life. He became stronger than ever at age 80!

I know it's a cool story, bro, but check out this nice article about why things that don't kill you make you weaker...:

http://www.psycholog...akes-you-weaker

Do you agree with it?  

It depends on the situation, your's is in the extreme okay, i can understand someone who still wishes his/her child in the state of coma to hope their child will still wake up 5-10 years max but 50? oh my god, no doctor will allow this, plus didn't it cross their mind how difficult it is for their child body?

I guess in the phrase "what doesn't kill you makes you stronger" somehow tells us do not give up. For an example, a heartbreak wont kill you if you try to accept it, learn the fact that things change or there is someone else, don't attempt suicide, instead, stand tall, proud and confident.

I've always viewed this as a phrase solely for motivational purposes. It has become so cliche that it is no longer insightful.    

Our experiences in life can make us better or worse people. It all depends on our choice. Thus the saying rings true in some cases, but not all.

Hmm.. wouldn't a good example to support that statement be pretty much anyone who has a disability? Lose your sight, the rest of your senses are strengthened to overcome the lack of sight and your body adapts accordingly. Lose a limb(or two), but through careful training you can still use whatever is left and who knows, become so strong and fit that you can join the Paralympic Games.

After reading the replies in this thread though, I guess it can go both ways 

edit: ...eep, I just reiterated what MrPower said. Whoops!!

"What doesn't kill you makes you stronger" has always been a quote that I've held as really motivational and important to me...

I always knew that quote existed... Kelly Clarkson OBVIOUSLY didn't invent that, lol.

The original quote stayed true throughout my life.

So yes... yes I do believe in it. I'm living proof of it.

it probably has another meaning, a less extreme one, like when you lose at something or you fail at doing something, it makes you more determined to achieve that goal to prove that you can do it, or something like that.

of course it depends on the person, some people will just give up.

I was stepping off a curb last night and I nearly got side-swiped by mass transit bus going about 30mph.

What didn't kill me didn't exactly make me stronger - but it sure made me royally crap my pants.