<p>prompt:"Tough challenges reveal our strenghts and weaknesses." This statement is certainly true; adversity helps us disocer who we are. Hardships can often lead us to examine who we are and to question what is important in life. In fact, people who have experienced seriously adverse events frequently report that they were positively changed by their negative experiences.</p>
<p>The question "Do you think that ease does not challenge us and that we need to discover who we are?" suggests that we need to be challenged to actually discover who we are. In other words, adversity helps us improve and gain a better understanding of ourselves. In my opinion, we do need adversity to improve and better understand who we are. The examples in life, history, and literature are very pervasive.</p>
<p>Take, for instance, the life of James Curtis, and aspiring actor in New York during the 1930's. Curtis had a family of 3 daughters along with his wife, and he desperately wanted to take care of them, but money was short and he couldn't land a job acting because his voice was too deep and wouldn't fit the roles. He tried again and again, constantly facing adversity. He finally went on to get a job, but not as an actor. Curtis was recognized for his voice and given the job of singing at local events. He was originally skeptical, but he went along anyways and found a talent as a singer. He later became one of the city's finest singers and was recognized in newspapers all around New York for his skillful singing and authentic voice. As you can see, through adversity he discovered his strengths and weaknesses. He really discovered who we was, and once he realized this, he was able to provide for his family.</p>
<p>MY other vivid example is the life of Carton in Charles Dicken's A tale of Two Cities. Carton is an unambitious drunkard who, while adroit in his profession, never achieves the recognition of his coworker. He is also hopelessly in love with someone far out of his league. Carton feels hopeless and ultimately meaningless and empty inside, but he does eventually discover something about himself amid adversity. When he finds out that his friends are in trouble in France, he sails across the sea to assist them. However, his attempt to help seems futile when he discovers that Charles Darnay, his love's husband, is going to be killed. Carton, nevertheless, formulates a plan for Darnay's escape. He decides to disguise himself as Darnay and suffer Darnay's penalty. At his final moments while walking up to the guillotine, he realizes that his life was not meaning. He realized that even though he seemed hopeless, he had a heart for others. Through adversity, he found meaning in life as the sacrificial lamb. Adversity gave Carton the opportunity to better understand himself.</p>
<p>As one can see, adversity gives people better insight into themselves. Take James Curtis, for example, who found success because of adversity. Or look at Carton who, amid adversity, discovered his meaning in life and who he really was. As earlier stated, adversity, indeed, helps people better understand themselves and who they really are.</p>