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Adversity In Horace

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The Roman poet, Horace, once said, “Adversity has the effect of eliciting talents which in prosperous circumstances would have lain dormant”. For Horace, adversity can reveal and expose a talent or skill that a person has without that individual even knowing about. The individual could be unaware of these talents because of prosperity and an easy going, sheltered life. However, Horace states that through adversity and the hardships of life, people find that they have many skills and can do many different things. I support his view in adversity bringing out a “talent” that may lay dormant and only brought out by the necessity that this adversity brings.
An example of this statement is displayed through Manny Pacquiao,one of the best boxers …show more content…
It can also show itself and attack people in an emotional and mental state, allowing those people to conquer their fears and accomplish feats they never thought they could. One example can be shown by the Tuskegee Airmen, the first group of colored men to ever fly combat planes in the United States Air Force during World War II. During their time, racial discrimination and segregation was very abundant and affected the life of many colored people, not allowing them to do things that were allowed to white men. But that didn’t stop the Tuskegee Airmen from enlisting in the Air Force after college to help with the war effort. Although they all passed their tests with flying colors, they still suffered from discrimination from instructors and drill sergeants. After going through harsh training, they went to fight in Europe, where they were assigned as Bomber Squadron Escorts. Not only did they succeed in their missions, but it is said that this group never lost a single Bomber Plane in combat, which saved many lives. This group were amongst the first colored men to receive medals for bravery and honor, and not only that, but they became one of the most condecorated groups in the war. With racial discrimination and segregation limiting the men's action, these men used it as a fortifying force which allowed them to reach feats that were never thought of before in this country or in the world. This example serves to …show more content…
I think people don’t truly see these hard times or believe in this statement until they have had their own personal experiences. An example that comes to mind is the life of Jim Carrey. Jim Carrey is now a very famous person who is very successful with his career as a comedian/actor, but it was not always that way. When Carrey was 15, he had to drop out of school to support his family. His father was an unemployed musician and as the family started to become more poor, they eventually had to start living in a van. Carrey didn't let this stop him from achieving his dream of becoming a comedian. He went from having his dad drive him to comedy clubs in Toronto to starring in big-hit movies and being known as one of the best comedic actors of an era. Even through all of the negatives in Carrey’s early life experiences, he still managed to hold on to his dream and make it a reality. In order to honor his family and be in a better place then he was, he used these adversities to give him motivation that led him to become to the hilarious, successful actor the world knows him as

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