Adversity

Adversity is a state of hardship or misfortune. It can be

small things like leaving your keys at home or failing a test
however, it can also be huge obstacles like a loved one
dying or coming home to see that your house has been in a
tragic fire. Every problem in life can be described as
adversity; however, it's how we look at these obstacles
that make life easier. If you have the ability to turn
adversity into a challenge instead of becoming depressed
every time something goes wrong, the smaller problems in life won't be a problem at all and the larger
problems will be easier to deal with. It can be also described as bad luck such as your house being
burgled, as well as unnecessary and unforeseen trouble resulting from an unfortunate event. It can
cause a state of great suffering and distress. Adversity is anything that will make your life harder.

Video:

 Have you heard about the 1972 Uruguay rugby team whose plane crashed in the Andes and the
survivors were not rescued for 72 days? Would you consider their situation adverse? Why?
 The survivors of this crash had to eat human meat to survive this ordeal? Can cannibalism be
accepted in adversity? What’s your opinion?

Vocabulary & Idioms:

 Prejudice: having a preformed opinion, usually an unfavorable one, about a group of people
based on lack of knowledge and illogical thinking
 Stereotype: a label or generalization that is given to everyone who is a part of a specific ethnic
group or culture and is not based on fact or reality
 Biased: showing favoritism
 Discrimination: unfair treatment to one person or group, usually because of prejudice about
race, ethnicity, age, religion or gender
 Empathy: the ability to identify with and understand another person's feelings or difficulties
 Perseverance: not giving up when times are tough
 Scapegoat: somebody who is made to take the blame for others
 Segregation: the separation of one person, group, or thing from others or the dividing of people
or things into separate
 Bystander: somebody who observes an activity but is not involved with it
 Stamina: n. energy to continue doing something over a long period of time
 Forced: to make someone do something
 Hijacked: to steal control of a vehicle, airplane or train
 Invade: to enter without permission and force
 Recession: a time when the economic activity in the country is not strong
 Suicide: when a person kills himself or herself
  Terror: extreme fear, panic

Conversation Questions:

 Could you list a few adversities we go through during our life?

 Have you ever gone through adversity? What was it? How did you overcome it?
 How can we help someone who is going through adversity right now? What kind of
encouragement could you use to stimulate them?
 Would you consider losing a family member adversity? Why/ why not? Have you
experienced it?
 Losing your house and other property to either natural or manmade disaster like fire,
earthquake, floor, hurricane or tornado can also be an adverse experience where all
your life’s hard work is gone in an instance. Have you experience such a situation? What
would you do if it ever happens to you?
 Complete economic loss is a modern adversity. We can all experience it at any time.
What would you do if you ever experience such condition?
 Would you agree that adversity can be a positive experience? How so? Could you give
some example?
 Do you think we can prepare for adversity? How? Are you prepared for any adversity?

 Read the quotations below about dealing with adversity. Discuss their
attitude toward adversity they express. What do they mean and do you
agree with them?
"I'm not afraid of storms for I'm learning to sail my ship." Louisa May Alcott, writer

"Obstacles don't have to stop you. If you run into a wall, don't turn around and give up. Figure out
how to climb, go through it, or work around it." Michael Jordan, athlete
"When it gets dark enough, you can see the stars." Lee Salk, psychologist

"The greatest glory in living lies not in never failing but in rising every time we fall." Nelson
Mandela, statesman

"Adversity causes some men to break, others to break records." William A. Ward, writer and
educator

"A certain amount of opposition is of great help to a man. Kites rise against, not with the wind."
Lewis Mumford, philosopher