A Quote on Adversity

"Adversity is the state in which man most easily becomes acquainted with himself, being especially free of admirers" -John Wooden

Monday, September 2, 2013

Understanding the Big Question

Adversity: nature’s way of separating the men from the boys. If you want to test a person’s mettle, put him in adverse conditions. We learn more about ourselves than we ever could have through adversity. It makes grand successes out of devastating failures; which is pretty remarkable. However, in the face of adversity, what causes some individuals to fail while others prevail?

This question is of great interest to me because it has to do with the intangibles of a person. An individual’s ability to navigate adversity, prevailing or failing as a result, cannot be measured in a box score or quantified on a spreadsheet. The ability to handle adversity comes from within; constructed from a complicated network of past experiences, mental toughness, and sheer will. The question relates closely to the idea of what makes Person A greater than Person B. It is rooted deep in existentialism. Last year while playing on the sophomore baseball team, I struggled mightily. I couldn't seem to get consistent playing time and I was at fault for not being able to get consistent playing time. I sunk so low that I allowed the game winning run to score on an error I committed; that was when I knew I had hit rock bottom. After practice one day near the end of the season my coached approached me and told me that he wanted me to start the final three games because I had worked so hard during the season. My hard work willed me into the starting lineup. I faced so much adversity during my sophomore year and somehow through sheer will, I made it into the starting lineup. In the face of adversity I prevailed.

In F. Scott Fitzgerald’s Great Gatsby, Gatsby faces one of the greatest adversities of all: having to win back a former love interest. However, Gatsby has no past experiences of extreme adversity; his life adversity-less. He throws lavish parties every night, lounging with the aristocratic elite. His lifestyle lacks any challenges or defining moments; essentially he has it easy. When confronted with the adverse situation of winning back Daisy, he crumbles under the pressure. He fails to win back Daisy in full capacity and ends up being shot to death. The cause of Gatsby’s withering under adversity is that he never really experienced a lot of adversity and whatever moments of adversity he faced in the past were buried under his idealistic facade. The lack of past adverse experiences leads to his downfall.  

A news story that heavily relates to the question: in the face of adversity, what causes some individuals to fail while others prevail? Is the comeback story of Adrian Peterson. During the Minnesota Vikings’ Christmas Eve game in 2011, running back Adrian Peterson tore both his ACL and MCL, the sum of all fears for a running back. The ACL and MCL are the lifeblood of a running backs’ game. Both muscles allow him to run, cut, slow down, speed up, stop, and move laterally all of which are important to a running back; without these muscles the back is incapacitated. The expected recovery time of an ACL and MCL tear is 9-12 months and even when a person comes back from such a horrific injury the general consensus is that they will never compete at the same level again. Peterson saw this as a challenge. Training camp started in July and Peterson wanted to be ready to participate in practice. Peterson attacked his rehab with ferociousness unseen by any player previous. He was going to will himself into the opening day starting lineup. He was familiar with the adversity of coming back from an injury; he missed his entire junior year with a broken collarbone. Peterson achieved his goal and went on to rush for an NFL best 2,095 yards, the second highest mark of all time. Peterson’s relentlessness and will allowed him to come back better from his injury, winning him NFL MVP and AP Offensive Player of the Year. When faced with adversity Peterson’s hard work and prior knowledge won out.      


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