Pros And Cons Of Adversity

Ulysses S. Grant once said “The friend in my adversity I shall always cherish most. I can better trust those who helped to relieve the gloom of my dark hours than those who are so ready to enjoy with me the sunshine of my prosperity” and meant that he met the truest people he knows in his darker hours, those who would lift him up in a time of need and aid him in bettering himself. The people who are always around when he prospers are people he is not sure would be there if he was not where he currently stands. Ulysses makes note that albeit successful, adversity challenges everyone, it is Horace that elaborates and says that adversity elicits talents in people that prosperity could not have. New skills come out of adverse situations, however, …show more content…
They have better chances and are exposed to more in the world and thus, have more useful talents. This, however, is not necessarily true because as aforementioned, adversity motivates one to change. If it did not exist, people would be content and satisfied with their lives and would have no reason to gain more or exercise new talents. While sometimes true, one upbringing and lifestyle is not superior to another. There are always pros and cons to all ways of life and in some situations living through adversity adds more value to a person’s life and can be more beneficial in specific situations.
To conclude, no matter how situations turn out, if a person perseveres through times of hardship and comes out with something more than what they went in with, then they added to their character. Horace is right in asserting that adversity brings about new talents in new forms which then add to a person’s character. Adversity usually has a negative connotation under the definition of misfortune, hardship, etc., but its effects on work ethic and aspiration for change positively affect the type of skills and talents a person acquires, (re)discovers, and