Nietzsche was right ...

...and I bet he is pleased with himself. Scientific research has confirmed the great philosopher Frederick Nietzsche's idea that "What doesn't kill you makes you stronger". Some negative experiences in life do indeed help people to develop coping abilities which, in turn, help them to manage future life difficulties with greater wisdom and strength.   In verifying Nietzsche's position, science has lagged behind, taking over 100 years after his death to prove this particular premise.  But, scientific research may have also been looking in the wrong place for confirmation or denial of Nietzsche's premise. Hence the 100 year delay.

I don't mean to minimize the thoughts of the deeply intelligent, and intellectual man that philosopher Frederich Nietzsche was, but it is possible that another portion of the living kingdom on earth already had this particular piece of philosophy figured out well before Nietzsche took his first step on planet earth.

Almost eight weeks ago, on Whidbey Island, Washington, an annoying and intense infestation of tent caterpillars hatched, wreaking havoc whereby hundreds of thousands of caterpillars began eating leaves by the millions across the island. Some trees emerged from the invasion almost leafless, pathetic, and seemingly unable to photosynthesize.

Yet, three weeks later, while the tent caterpillars emerge from their many cocoons as moths, the trees have responded to the infestation en masse.   It would be easy to believe that these poor trees would just limp through the season and hope for a better experience next year, getting by on whatever remaining photosynthesis they were able to manage.

Instead, they have responded with a rather endearing exuberance of new foliage, leafing out again just a few short months after their initial emergence from winter.   The result of the tent caterpillar's attempt to destroy has been the opposite of what was expected. Instead of acres of frail, struggling, even dying trees, we have many more trees which look like this:

The trees know the truth about the whole situation. What has not killed them has indeed made them GREENER.   The trees have simply passed that philosophy along to humans and modified a word or two to make this fundamental premise suitable to mankind.

Maybe the trees have other things to say to us as they stand quietly by, leafing out, producing bounty from wasting.  Maybe, we just need to listen a little bit more closely to them and, in so doing, we might find that the philosophy posed by the trees is as wise as Nietzsche.

As a side note, I bet the trees would never ever venture to say "God is dead" as Nietzsche did either.

And in that, lies true wisdom.