Strength in Culture/Neitzche

In American culture, Strength is represented in several different ways. A person who is faced with a great hardship or misfortune who then overcomes their obstacle is seen as strong. For example, the athlete who was trapped under a boulder somewhere in Utah with no food or water who amputated his own arm and hiked limbless for miles to get help is considered strong. This feat of survival displays a tremendous amount of both physical endurance and emotional, psychological strength. Perseverance and determination is often glorified and seen as strong. Someone who has power in terms of money or influence is also seen as someone who is strong. Although this does not make total sense, because the person is able to make decisions for others and controls the fates of others on a small scale, they are stronger. Strength is often also represented in units or numbers. The Military is the ultimate idea of American strength.

In Neitzche, strength is represented by someone who lives in the present and follows their instinctual desires. He believes that people who are constantly in a state of ressentment are weak because they do not live in the present. People who live in the present are happy easily and frequently which makes them strong, people who do not live in the present must have longer thought proccesses to be happy.

-Sam Rosenzweig