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Friedrich Nietzsche once said, “[to] live is to suffer, to survive is to find some meaning in the suffering”. Life is undeniably tough and there is no forewarning of what your set of challenges are gonna be. The innocence of youth shields us from this reality until one day you’re an adult with responsibilities and commitments. For us men, it can be even more difficult since many of us don’t seek the help we need and consequently overburden ourselves with life’s uncertainties on our own. Feeling a little disorderly and behind in my life right now, I had a moment of self-reflection.
I was reminded of a quote by Robin Williams, “…And the human race is filled with passion, and medicine, law, business, engineering – these are noble pursuits and necessary to sustain life. But poetry, beauty, romance, love – these are what we stay alive for.” I think there may be a lot of truth to this – after all, humans tend to gravitate toward an art form to lift our spirits and grant us a moment of escapism to ease the burden of life. This moment for me was sought out through poetry. I am by no means a poet or an analysis expert; in fact, I hated poetry in my grade school days. However, getting older grants you new perspectives and allows you to appreciate things in a new light. Ulysses by Alfred, Lord Tennyson was written in 1833 and it has perhaps gained some popularity in recent years being often referred to as the Skyfall poem. This dramatic monologue has many intriguing parts, but the most profound for me is the second to last line, “[made] weak by time and fate, but strong in will.” This line very much brings to life Albrecht Durer’s 1513 masterpiece, The Knight, Death and The Devil, signalling a strong, resilient heart prevails when all seems hopeless, and everything is seemingly crumbling.
I believe this to be the most important lesson for the gentleman who has a family, children and friends looking up to them. When life has you dispirited and everything is looking like it’s turning against you, it is necessary to seek help and take time for yourself. However, it is a conscious choice for an indomitable spirit that will get you through and set the standard for those looking up to you. Alfred, Lord Tennyson reminds us “that which we are, we are”. We can’t change our circumstances or our fates, but we certainly have the power to change how we view and respond to them. Ultimately making us more resilient, better role models, and better equipped to handle life’s relentless uncertainties.
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