ProverbChallengeGerman origin1888

What doesn't kill you makes you stronger

Meaning: Adversity builds resilience and character.

Who said it? Friedrich Nietzsche, Twilight of the Idols, 1888

Origin: From Friedrich Nietzsche's Twilight of the Idols (1888), in the section "Maxims and Arrows": "From life's school of war: what does not destroy me makes me stronger."

Equivalents in French, Spanish, German, and Polish

  • French: Ce qui ne te tue pas te rend plus fort (literally: What doesn't kill you makes you stronger)
  • Spanish: Lo que no te mata te hace más fuerte (literally: What doesn't kill you makes you stronger)
  • German: Was mich nicht umbringt, macht mich stärker (literally: What does not kill me makes me stronger)
  • Polish: Co cię nie zabije, to cię wzmocni (literally: What doesn't kill you strengthens you)

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