Strong or not. Is it just something we believe?

[Chroelle]

After having a rather lengthy discussion with my girlfriend and her sister about other people on their workplaces being intimidated by their strength, I came up with this subject that I would like to present to you, and hear your oppinions about. I thought about posting it in one of the other forums, but decided that there is some natural scientific debates hidden in this topic.

IS there such a thing as strong people or are strong people just ordinary weak people that is better at hiding their weakness.

It seems to me that if you observe someone that you look up to, and find them strong, and then get to know them better on a personal level, then you will find that they are in fact just as weak as yourself, only seem more confident and strong in certain situations, and they tend to find these situations so they can act out their role in them.
Am I wrong? What are your experiences with this?

I have in the last couple of days been looking at the people I find to be strong and found certain weaknesses that made me think about my idolisation of their tough and powerful facade. I have found weaknesses in my dad, my Girlfriend, my superior, and my boss. I have found weaknesses in other people around me, and found them to be as least as weak as myself. I am not calling myself weak here, but I think it is important to open the curtain to the fact that all people have areas where they are uncertain. Especially since I see more and more individuals describing themselves as weak or with low selfconfidence. Is there such a thing?
I am not trying to be small-time psycological here, but actually try to figure out what is the "thing" (chemical, physical, psycological etc.) that make some people stand out as being strong?

If you look through the forums and read the posts written so far, you will be able to learn a great deal about peoples oppinion on themselves. And most of them don't define themselves as being strong. I think that 90% of the worlds population would in a very private moment admit that they felt weak and not strong. (And the last 10% would be lying)

I have no research (other than my own) to back up my statements, so feel free to disagree, but please tell me why!

If you read this post and don't respond I dare you to go have a look at a person you find to be strong and see if you can't find their weak spot, and then return and tell us of your experience...

[mistergreen77]

I think it will depend on the situation whether certain traits are strengths or weaknesses. As Machievelli said 'that he whose actions do not accord with the times will not be successful'. He was talking about whether it is better to be impetuous or cautious - but goes on to add 'For my part I consider that it is better to be adventurous than cautious, because fortune is a woman, and if you wish to keep her under it is necessary to beat and ill-use her; and it is seen that she allows herself to be mastered by the adventurous rather than by those who go to work more coldly. She is, therefore, always, woman-like, a lover of young men, because they are less cautious, more violent, and with more audacity command her.'

I also note that evolutionary theory says it is not the strongest that survives but the most adaptable, which I think fits in quite neatly with Machiavelli's idea that whose actions accord with the situation will be successful.

In my experience a persons perceived strengths and weaknesses always depend on the situation. A strong and bulky fighter will have little success as a thief. A trusting person may have many friends but fail in business. Have to go now but might add some more.