Adversity brings out the best and worst in us.

Adversity brings out both the best and worst in us. It really depends on an individual. Some people turn into heroes when disaster happens and others turn into looters. Others sit helplessly waiting for help. Adversity tests the ” metal” of a person. Adversity is part of life. How we react to it is based on genetics, human nature and learned behaviour. There are usually three different repeatable behaviours that people display in a crisis. Firstly, they do nothing, they freeze and become paralysed into inaction. Secondly, they do the opposite of reasonable behaviour. For instance, running back into a burning building to get a favourite pair of shoes. Lastly, do whatever it takes to escape the crisis, which only accounts for 3% of the people. This is why there are more followers than leaders. You want a leader that will act appropriately, not freeze or make the situation worse These tenets also work for emotional adversity as well as physical. When confronted with a personal or family crisis we either do nothing, go back into the situation that is causing the problem or we act and solve the problem by any means available. Many people say that adversity brings out the best in people. That is not true. Adversity brings out what’s truly inside; in some cases that is good that no one realised was there, but in other cases it is the evil that is nurtured by many of us in the secret recesses of the heart. Adversity is like make-up remover, showing the real face. The mask is what we project. It is a reflection of our desires and vanity. The face is, in contrast, a reflection of who we truly are. It doesn’t take adversity to bring out the best in people, but it seems to take adversity for most of us to notice the best in people. Adversity often brings out the worst in people too. The answer could be in their approach to life, which is to accept challenges or avoid them. In this world, you will have tribulation. Adversity is on the outside of a person, an individual’s attitude determines whether one chooses to become bitter or better from it. It is not what is on the outside of a man that defiles him, but what comes out of a man’s heart, and these make a man unclean. For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony and slander. Adversity often allows one to demonstrate courage. Adversity often exposes our weaknesses. Adversity comes to everyone, but there is a way to overcome them. No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. But when you are tempted, a way out is provided so that you can stand up under it. Adversity often comes through our own selfish desires. What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don’t they come from your desires that battle within you? You want something but do not get it. You kill and covet, but you cannot have what you want. You quarrel and fight. You do not have because you do not ask. When you ask, you do not receive because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures. Adversity is used to humble us. Adversity is used to cleanse people, organizations and nations. Adversity can be used to bring cleansing, purification and greater dependence regardless of how tragic it seems at the time.