Horace Adversity Essay

Present in the lives of everyone, from the privileged son of a millionaire to the disadvantaged daughter of a refugee, adversity is a common, accepted aspect of life. Affecting the lives of those it visits, the obstacle is articulated by Roman poet Horace to contain certain qualities, with an emphasis on its effect to persist in changing one’s everyday life. This effect described by Horace presents itself in many ways, including through instances of competition, which works directly to create talent and character. Additionally, adversity works to challenge, help, and grow one’s self, which can eventually result in an increased strength of character and abilities. This sword is double-edged however, a trait apparent in its additional, inherent

Take, for instance, the competition between two juggernauts of the phone industry. Apple and Samsung, both proven giants of their field, have been incessantly competing for many years, which has caused persistence from both sides, driving them to rise above the other, sparking a certain ambition and, in turn, pushing their technology above what was formerly deemed possible. For example, directly after Apple’s introduction of their fingerprint sensor on the iPhone 5S, Samsung released a similar product, this one paired with an iris scanner to place it a cut above of its competitor. As numerous other examples of this oscillation of advancement are apparent, the motivation attributed to adversity also becomes more apparent. This motivation and subsequent achievement can theoretically be applied to any situation, driving parties involved to simply outdo the other(s), naturally producing a better product compared to one made without the presence of the driving force of adversity in competition. When forced to play against others, standards and talent levels are raised to another level, as it is the desire to be preeminent that pushes forward, a motivation apparent in the shattering of records and the expanding of