Adversity Hypothesis

Ricardo Baesso de Oliveira

A powerful belief, embraced by nearly all religious traditions, holds that people must face adversity, obstacles, and perhaps even trauma in order to achieve the highest possible levels of strength, fulfillment, and personal growth.

Allan Kardec acknowledged that many adversities are connected to misguided actions committed by the individuals involved. In such cases, the resulting suffering serves as a warning that one has acted wrongly. It provides experience and allows the individual to perceive the difference between good and evil, as well as the need for self-improvement in order to avoid, in the future, what has already become a cause of sorrow. Without this, there would be no reason for moral reform, and confidence in impunity would delay one’s progress and, consequently, one’s future happiness¹.

Other adversities, according to Kardec, can be understood as trials voluntarily chosen by the Spirit in order to complete its purification and accelerate its progress².

Are such ideas confirmed by modern science? Social psychologist Jonathan Haidt referred to this belief as the “adversity hypothesis,” arguing that it cannot be literally true, at least not entirely. Many people who endure extremely traumatic experiences develop Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), a debilitating condition that leaves its victims anxious and hyperreactive, sometimes permanently.

Haidt argues that we should be cautious about fully embracing the “adversity hypothesis,” yet he acknowledges that many studies conducted in recent years point positively toward the idea that adversity can indeed be associated with personal growth. These benefits are sometimes referred to as “post-traumatic growth,” in direct contrast to post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and are especially observed in people who cultivate resilience, that is, the ways in which we deal with adversity, overcome damage, and recover to a point of normal functioning.

This broad body of research demonstrates that, although trauma, crises, and tragedies may come in many forms, we can benefit from them in three primary ways³.

The first benefit revealed through the successful overcoming of a challenge is the discovery of hidden abilities, and recognizing them changes one’s self-concept. One of the most common lessons people draw from grief or trauma is the realization that they are far stronger than they had imagined. This new awareness of their own strength grants them greater confidence to face future challenges.

The second category of benefits concerns relationships. When someone is diagnosed with cancer, or when a couple loses a child, certain friends and family members rally around them and seek every possible way to offer support and help. Adversity strengthens relationships and opens people’s hearts to one another. We often develop deeper love for those we care about, and we commonly feel gratitude and affection for those who stood by us in moments of need. A grieving individual begins to value the people present in their life more deeply and tends to show greater tolerance toward them.

And finally, the third benefit: trauma reshapes our priorities and our philosophy regarding the present (Carpe Diem: “live each day to the fullest”) and our relationships with others. Adversity forces us to slow down along life’s road, allowing us to notice the alternative paths that had been there all along and to reflect on where we truly wish to arrive.

Perhaps it is for all these reasons, and many others, that Jesus said: blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted⁴.

Jesus did not intend to glorify suffering, nor to prescribe it for everyone, much less to diminish the moral imperative to reduce it whenever possible. It is possible that Jesus wished to point out that suffering is not always entirely harmful. There is often some good mingled with evil, and those who are able to find it discover something precious: a key to moral and spiritual growth.

After all, life’s most important lessons cannot be taught directly. Wisdom is not something we simply receive; it is something we must discover for ourselves.

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¹ KARDEC, Allan. The Gospel According to Spiritism, chap. V.
² Ibid.
³ HAIDT, Jonathan. The Happiness Hypothesis. New York: Basic Books, 2006.
⁴ The Holy Bible, Matthew 5:4.