This is a photo of the famous sculpture – the Thinking Man. The heavily built body, the well formed muscles, the square face - a picture of strength and masculinity . But it is a strange posture – the right elbow on the left knee, and face touching the hands - signs of deep thought. The Thinking man is not just thinking he is also troubled in his thoughts. The muscles of his body are tensed, and so is the expression on his face.
The Thinking man is strong yet despondent.
I wonder what is a sure sign of strength? Surely it cannot be physical prowess alone. What is mental strength is the right question…
Does one’s strength lie in his ability to solve ALL his problems himself? Is that person invincible who has built up so much strength within himself that he does not take help from others? Is personal independence a mark of mental strength?
Or does one go the Stephen Covey way viz…Personal effectiveness is the 1st step, and Inter personal effectiveness the final mark of success of a person. Then individual mental strength alone will not do. There is a further interactive process whereby a person “shares” his individual strength with those less endowed in that respect. Taking help is not seen as a sign of weakness, and hence neither is giving seen as charity.
Final question, is the mentally stronger person necessarily a happier person?
The picture only makes me ask questions, I don’t know the answers.
1. Is personal independence a mark of mental strength?
According to me no person can be independent of others. We are all humans and falliable. We do hit upon periods where our mental strength alone will not be enough to help us. We will have to draw support from others. As you had rightly put under these situations, “Taking help is not seen as a sign of weakness, and hence neither is giving seen as charity.”..
So what is the mark of mental strength here? It is the recognition that i am human and falliable..but this period is only temporary and i know i will come out of it soon, with the help of others if need be…It is this belief that is the mark of mental strength..
2. is the mentally stronger person necessarily a happier person?
To this qn though i do not have answers..but i have qns..
what is happiness?
1) Good one. Nice answer Mani.
2) Don’t answer a question with another:) Happiness is happiness. Period. It is not sucess, it is not money, it is not love, it is not frienship. You know you are happy, when you are happy
Very good question and one that I havent been able to figure out the answer to.