I have always strongly admired those individuals who never quit. The ability of such people to keep struggling in spite of all the setbacks they encounter is extremely inspiring.
For a fairly long time, I have believed that Western society has a relatively low tolerance for failure. It seems that most people are expected to achieve success quite quickly and without encountering any major problems. Furthermore, the belief that human beings are "born good" in one area or another tends to fuel the expectation that success should come quite easily. This perception - which is unfortunately still fairly widespread - suggests that if you do not manage to "get it right" almost from the start, you should consider turning your attention to some other activity. Whoever has managed to get a glimpse of the countless reality-TV shows whereby several individuals are humiliated and labelled as "incompetent" or "untalented" by a panel of "judges" knows exactly what I am talking about.
Sadly, a society which projects false notions about success and which does not tolerate failure is expected to include many people who give up very easily when they encounter one or more setbacks. You failed your Physics exam? Well, perhaps you are "not so bright" when it comes to Spanish! Your marriage broke down? Well, perhaps you should never enter into any other relationship in the future! You have been diagnosed with a particularly rare medical condition? Well, perhaps you should just accept your "bad luck" and avoid complaining! Does any of this destructive talk sound familiar? Unfortunately, such negative messages are transmitted thousands of times a day in various parts of the world.
Although there are many people who quit relatively easily when faced with a problem, there are others who are determined to stand up over and over again following one or more nasty falls. The rest of this post focuses on some individuals who did not quit when confronted with various difficulties.
Many people have surely heard about Sir Anthony Hopkins and have watched several of his movies including the famous Silence of the Lambs. Fewer individuals, however, seem to be aware of the hardships faced by Mr Hopkins during the early stages of his life. In an interview published by the Mail Online site, he said the following: "I was called Dumbo, like the elephant, as a child because I couldn't understand things at school...My grandfather, my father's father, told my mother, 'Tony's got a big head, pity there's nothing in it, unlike Bobby [cousin] who is brilliant'...The teachers would slap me about the head...I was hauled before the headmaster, who said there was something wrong with me. My teacher twisted my ear till it broke and said, 'You are only fit to grease your father's bread tins,' because I didn't understand arithmetic."
The article went on to say that "For the young Hopkins, feelings of inadequacy continued throughout his teens. 'I felt like the village idiot because I couldn't do anything right. I worked at the Steel Company of Wales when I was 17. My job was to supply tools to the guys working the blast furnaces. I would look at the chits and I'd always choose the wrong thing, and the foreman would say to me, 'What the hell is the matter with you? Can't you do anything right?' He'd say, 'Go and make me a cup of tea.' Then, 'No. Don't even do that because you'll blow us all up.'"
Though Angie Baker did not become as popular as Anthony Hopkins, her story also deserves to be mentioned. As a young woman, Angie wanted to have a baby. As stated in an article published in Grazia magazine (15/03/2010), "I was in my early twenties when I got pregnant the first time" (p. 119). After a few weeks, she lost the baby as a result of a miscarriage. Although saddened by the event, Angie did not give up. She tried again. And again. Each pregnancy, however, kept ending in a miscarriage. The worst thing is that "the doctors kept saying there was nothing medically wrong" with her. After the tenth miscarriage, she underwent a number of tests at St Mary's Hospital in London. She left the hospital with no additional medical information as "again they found nothing". Although many other women might have given up on having a baby following so many miscarriages, Angie was determined to keep on trying. She eventually discovered Dr Hassan Shehata, a doctor who had carried out a lot of research about women who were suffering from recurrent miscarriages. Thanks to the doctor's desire to help such women, he managed to clarify the root of Angie's failed pregnancies. Furthermore, as a result of his treatment, Angie eventually managed to have her own baby. Angie Baker miscarried 18 times before she gave birth to a healthy baby girl.
Another story that deserves to be mentioned is the one of Emily Holden. According to an article that appeared in Glamour (April, 2010), "A horrific car accident...broke every bone in Emily Holden's face, blinded her in one eye and burst a lung" (p. 32). The 21-year-old girl has received a great deal of assistance from the Saving Faces Foundation. She is aware of the fact that she still requires further treatment, but she is very optimistic about her future. Indeed, Emily stated that "When I've recovered, I'll counsel other victims. I'll visit them in hospital to offer advice and guidance." (p. 32).
I am sure that there are many other stories out there of individuals who have never quit in spite of having been beaten down once, twice, three times...I will try to post more about them in future articles. If you are one of those individuals, I would be very glad to hear about your story. :)
