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Wednesday, November 2, 2011

There. I said it. I'm better now. Thanks.

Image from here.
Many people I know express a real appreciation for the following famous quote: "That which does not kill us makes us stronger." ~Friedrich Nietzsche

This is perhaps my least favourite quote. Sure, there's wisdom in this statement. It reminds us to "carry on." It trumps ignoble self-pity. It steels us to face future hardship. I get it. Believe me. My own Stewart clan motto is "courage strengthens at the wound." And yet I can't help but think that Neitzsche was misquoted. Or more likely, I think he was interrupted:

That which does not kill us makes us stronger...but it also makes us older and grayer and fatter and depressed and pissed-off and bitter too.

Just sayin.
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21 comments:

  1. karensomethingorotherNovember 2, 2011 at 8:19 AM

    isn't that the truth, my friend!!!

    ReplyDelete
  2. laughingmomNovember 2, 2011 at 8:29 AM

    I agree! I like to say "What doesn't kill us makes us stronger as long as we stay on our prescribed medication."

    ReplyDelete
  3. PickleopeNovember 2, 2011 at 11:20 AM

    You're right, they totally cut the quote short. I like the full version better.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Nicole Leigh ShawNovember 2, 2011 at 11:32 AM

    I agree. It's right up there with "God doesn't give you more than you can handle."

    I call BS on both.

    ReplyDelete
  5. JoshNovember 2, 2011 at 12:04 PM

    I don't know what I like about this post better: the post itself, or the source of the picture on the post.

    Classic.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Sub Radar (Mike)November 2, 2011 at 1:23 PM

    Haha, the cynic in me agrees wholeheartedly.

    ReplyDelete
  7. SymdaddyNovember 2, 2011 at 1:39 PM

    Never had you pegged as a philosopher!

    Let me know when you book is out!

    ReplyDelete
  8. Al PenwasserNovember 2, 2011 at 1:41 PM

    Easy for Superman to say. All he had to worry about was kryptonite. And tights that ran too snug in the seat.
    Oh, yeah, and Margot Kidder playing Lois Lane in the movies.
    That's one crazy bitch.

    ReplyDelete
  9. SultanNovember 2, 2011 at 2:12 PM

    My favorite Nietzsche quote is: "A casual stroll through the lunatic asylum shows that faith does not prove anything."

    ReplyDelete
  10. PokerLawyerNovember 2, 2011 at 3:45 PM

    This is so good.

    ReplyDelete
  11. Vinny CNovember 2, 2011 at 4:15 PM

    I like to think of it as, "That which does not kill us, makes us suffer in agony for a long time... & then it kills us.

    ReplyDelete
  12. Antares CryptosNovember 2, 2011 at 7:09 PM

    Lol.

    Poor Nietzsche was probably interrupted from finishing his sentence by something that was about to kill him.

    No time for grammar.

    ReplyDelete
  13. NubianNovember 2, 2011 at 11:01 PM

    I totally prefer your version.

    ReplyDelete
  14. AlittlespriteNovember 3, 2011 at 7:37 AM

    I hear ya...
    Also, anyone who tells me to "Keep my chin up"... I want to ninja kick.

    ReplyDelete
  15. j. littlejohnNovember 3, 2011 at 3:26 PM

    mine too. never found a lot of sense in it.

    ReplyDelete
  16. AnonymousNovember 3, 2011 at 4:38 PM

    "What doesn't kill us...weakens us to the point where our immune system can't keep up and the common cold does the job for it."

    -Doug Stephens

    ReplyDelete
  17. Homemaker ManNovember 3, 2011 at 10:36 PM

    One of my favorites is "Nietzche was kind of a douche."

    ReplyDelete
  18. wendyNovember 4, 2011 at 3:38 PM

    ha ha ha....Now I have to say, I like a guy/or gal....who can just tell it like it is sometimes.

    I read/hear 100's of inspirational quotes
    and yes, I do appreciate them, and try to be uplifted by them

    but sometimes, you just wanna say
    Bull shit

    ReplyDelete
  19. wendyNovember 4, 2011 at 3:38 PM

    now that I said tha
    I can move on (tee,hee)

    ReplyDelete
  20. AnonymousNovember 4, 2011 at 9:46 PM

    and once we are older and grayer and fatter, we have no choice but to get stronger because we can't get by on our pretty looks any longer, so he mostly had it right, but you are way smarter than that guy.

    ReplyDelete
  21. ToBlog todayNovember 5, 2011 at 5:13 AM

    Right on, full verse it is!!!

    "everything happens for a reason" should be "everything that happens to is cause and effect"

    ReplyDelete