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Adversity In John Horace's 'Treachery'

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How do we as people discern how individuals have obtained their prowess and talent? Some would say it is a product of hard labor and dedication. Some would say it is in inherent in certain lucky beings. However, regardless of how you swing the two sides of this debate it is undeniable the power of the former. Think of many great heroes, artists, writers, athletes, and overall successful individuals in general. What do they all have in common? They have all put in the time and hardship to reach the pinnacle of their abilities. Even in the most dire of circumstances not pertaining to that of a skill, trade, or art, treachery has made a work of bringing out the most persistent, enduring, and determined of us as a species. All of this being eloquently …show more content…

Think of any particular athlete you admire and look up to. I'm sure with all of my heart that they had put themselves through arduous and laborious training and practice to get themselves to that level of glory. Horace relays this axiom tersely in that of adversity. However, adversity manifests itself in awful circumstances such as to bring out the inherited willpower we hold in ourselves. Whether it be the life threatening situation perhaps a good portion of our long distant ancestors of being locked in the kill or be killed situation between animal, environment, or even our fellow man, we as people and even other animals have the potential to shake the foundations of this idea we have as our strength. Physically we are enduring creatures whether we know it or not. Even by means of evolution we have been developed as creatures that hunt our prey by means of long term exhaustion and besting the animals we deemed as food by tracking them down for such long periods of time, that us now in our relatively sedentary lifestyles would be left astonished. The depths of humanity character is built out of hardship it is no wonder we harness it's potential to make such great …show more content…

By soul in this context, I mean the depths of our thoughts and character. No better outlet of human creativity would this be apparent than that of music. Musicians for undeniably decades and perhaps centuries have channeled our heartache, and our physical trauma, have managed to bring such vivid and beautiful works. The examples are endless for which we can draw from. Whether it be the addiction and grasp of heroin had on the late Layne Staley, the gang violence and influence of the thug lifestyle's impression on rap artists such as Tupac, or the heartbreak and loss of companionship such as anyone from Boys to Men, Alkaline Trio, Estelle, Frank Ocean, and many of the catalog of auditory magicians you hold deep in your tastes. Hurt is a strong force that resonates with every human being who has experienced it. With it we can see Horace's perception hold true to a gratuitous degree. We as humans are designed to feel trauma, pain, loss, and grief on a level deeper than any sentient being in observable existence. It not only brings out our talents, but our heart as well. A concept only known to us and only our existence. Horace in his quote, not only made an interesting observation about hardship, but encapsulates our entire design as human beings. With his one statement, he displayed our one true means of developing

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