True Strength: Physical strength fades, so true strength is measured in character

True Strength: Physical strength fades, so true strength is measured in character

Its seems people are spending most of their time building themselves up to be stronger, faster and more flexible. No matter how long they stay at the gym they always come back the next day to make themselves stronger. Its these people who believe power comes from being strong, however, in actuality true strength should be measured in character not the size of a person’s muscles.

In order to look like the bodybuilders today, people go to the gym for multiple hours everyday, for many years.  Dedication to exercise and diet become a lifestyle and commitment.  

The above photograph shows the dedication to the workout lifestyle by the man’s sheer size and hours that he must have put in to achieve this fitness level.  The photographer purposely hides the man’s face to show that it does not matter who he is, just simply that he decides to spend his time fixating on body image and strength within his muscles, ignoring the development of the strength of his character or mind.  The slogan too, “nothing is over, until you stop trying,” suggests that he thinks that bodybuilding is the goal he should focus on, not the idea of trying to change the world, or use his strength to help others.

Physical strength of is not the only way to be strong.  Real power can be demonstrated by the fights won and the kindness shown to others.  Below is an image of WWE fighter, John Cena, helping out the organization he’s involved in, the Children’s Wish Foundation.  Currently, Cena is leading the most wishes granted to kids.

This picture shows that Cena is not just in it to win fights and be physically strong, but also believes that a person need to strengthen their character and emotion to other people. When Cena is not able to fight anymore, people will remember him due to his kind acts. The picture shows the child beaming with joy due to the presence of Cena, and he will remember this for the rest of his life. The photographer made sure to get close to Cena to show his affection for the child and to prove that Cena truly wanted to make this moment special; he was not just doing a quick signature then moving on.

The above picture shows that, although this guy isn’t physically strong, he uses his mental strength to encourage the youth to stay out of trouble and be positive. This man knows that he doesn’t need to get in the gym and build up his body, but to make a difference in his life he became a motivational speaker. The strength of his character is so strong that when he dies people will still remember him for the kind things that he did. The picture shows how Nicholas James Vujicic overcomes the struggles of having no limbs, but still remains positive. The picture is set up to show how he can live free of his wheelchair by the photographer creating a clear divide between the two through placement of the man and wheelchair on opposite sides of the frame.






The last image is of Mahatma Gandhi a man who devoted his life to inner strength. This man is the most well known of the four people selected in these images because he spent most of his life helping others. He never cared for the gym or building up his body because he know that it was something that he couldn’t keep. He knew that in order to be remembered he had to strengthen his connection to his people and society. The image demonstrates how much power he has due to the halo around his head showing that some people would say he has the power and inspiration of Jesus, a god like figure. Although Mahatma doesn’t have the physical image of strength, his mental strength is exaggerated, showing the viewer that a person does not have to be some big tough guy, like the first image, to get a message across.  Actually, all a person needs to do is exercise their character and become strong enough to help others.

In conclusion, the above images represent the idea that although some people have immense physical strength, as shown in the first picture, it will not last forever, unlike the mental strength shown by Gandhi and Nicholas James Vujicic. The first picture shows a bodybuilder and his immense physical strength, but although he has this strength it will not matter when the human body starts to age and weaken over time. In the second picture, it shows how Cena, a very strong individual, can also have mental strength by bringing immense joy to a kid. The third picture shows how someone with extremely limited physical strength can still be strong by their will and determination to help others.  In the final image, it shows one of the most powerful people in terms of his conviction to his cause as well as his will to be a beacon of influence and change. As Gandhi once said, “Strength does not come from physical capacity. It comes from an indomitable will.”