What doesn’t kill me might make me weaker

A saying usually attributed to Nietzsche goes “What doesn’t kill me makes me stronger.” For some things it is clearly true. Get some exercise and if it doesn’t kill you it will make you physically stronger. It may also be true in a psychological sense: weather an emotional storm, and perhaps you will have found a new inner strength that you can rely on later. But as a general rule? Give me a break. There are any number of things that are bad for you, but don’t kill you. And they don’t make you stronger. If you’re lucky, you might get back to the strength you once had.

For example, Nietzsche himself had health problems which caused him to resign his teaching position at about age 35 and which continued the rest of his life. Two strokes and pneumonia at about 53 definitely didn’t make him stronger and he died aged 54.

So forget about that hubristic slogan. Instead, I’d recommend doing something you’ve never done before, or going someplace you haven’t yet been. Experiences don’t have to be dangerous to be strengthening.