What is fortitude? How the power of the Spirit is gained.

What is fortitude? Deep down, every person knows the answer to this question. This is what makes you fight, overcome difficulties, keep your head up and move forward, no matter what happens. This is courage shown in moments of danger. Courage that forces you to defend yourself and your loved ones. Persistence.

Strength of spirit is an inner core that not every person has inside. Like a willow rod, such people can be bent or subdued by force, but they can never be broken.

Strong-willed people can survive literally anything. Hunger, cold, loss of family, physical suffering. No matter how painful it may be for them, they will cope so that they can again boldly look fate in the eye and challenge the villain.

In some people this unknown, incomprehensible great power is inherent from birth. They are identified by a strong-willed look, a strong character, an unyielding will, determination, and the habit of being responsible for their words. Next to such a person you can say “like behind a stone wall.”

And in some, fate fosters fortitude. Turns your whole life into a struggle. And watches what comes out of a person as a result of the great battle for survival. Will he break or survive? And will he retain the person within himself?

Example from life

If you need to give an example of people in whom life has cultivated fortitude by forcibly putting weapons in their hands for self-defense, then first of all, of course, the Great Patriotic War comes to mind.

Young girls - partisans who, having been captured, were tortured to death, but never betrayed their comrades - this is an example of true courage and dedication.

Fighters who throw themselves in front of bullets to fight for what they believe in, for what they love - this is an example of true courage.

Mothers, day and night waiting for their sons at the doorstep, starving, but saving the last piece of bread for children who may return - this is what can be called real strength of spirit.

People experiencing terrible wartime deserve not only respect, but also admiration and worship. Not many offspring of the modern generation will be able to repeat what those who disappeared into oblivion did.

Thinking first of all about others, caring about your neighbors, putting other people's interests above your own and overcoming difficulties - this is what real fortitude is.

Essay Strength of Spirit

Philosophers and sages talk about the relativity of everything in this world. In Ancient Greece, some philosophers considered man to be the measure of everything, that is, how a person thinks is how things really are in this world. Therefore, in different cultures and societies we have different traditions, different understandings of good and evil.

Moreover, there are phenomena that are difficult to define with exact parameters, for example, beauty, holiness, and fortitude. Many people now actively talk about spirituality, go to churches, and Russia is believed to be a particularly spiritual country. People in this country have a fortitude that allows them to overcome various difficulties.

It is not entirely clear to me what fortitude is and whether it is even possible to determine this parameter with any accuracy. It is difficult to even describe such a personality trait.

After all, it is not possible to measure spirituality or fortitude by the number of church visits or prayers. Moreover, even behavior that may be explained by something spiritual, in fact, is not always so. For example, abstinence is considered a spiritual quality and a sign of fortitude.

Monks and religious people fast a lot in order to pacify the flesh; they have a high goal in this and thanks to this they cultivate their own spiritual strength. There are also people who follow diets, for example, girls who want to look beautiful and be liked by many guys. Is there any spiritual component to such a fast (diet)?

Sometimes motivation can be absolutely primitive, but a person accomplishes very significant feats, for example, refusing food. However, there is little fortitude in this, but only attachment to the material world. Therefore, the question of what fortitude is and how such a property is manifested is difficult.

We can judge only by external data and do not have the opportunity to see what work this or that person does in the soul. Therefore, even if we see a bad person who acts to harm himself and others, we should not immediately condemn him. Perhaps he avoids many temptations in his own soul and shows real restraint, even more than some righteous people.

9th grade, OGE, 15.3, text by Baklanov, Ulitskaya, Alekseev, examples from life, reasoning, arguments

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Something elusive and at the same time very clearly manifested in difficult life situations.

How is she born? What does it consist of? Why is it impossible to break a strong-spirited person? And, in general, what is the Power of the Spirit?

The power of the Spirit is a state of inner self-confidence and invisible support from God. This is the core that determines how we behave in difficult situations. How will we behave if a difficult situation lasts for a long time?

Inner confidence is made up of many factors.
Have you seen how easy it is to break one twig? What if you put them in a bun? - Then you need a lot more effort, and it’s not a fact that you will be able to break each of the twigs.

That's it Strength of mind consists of individual components, each of which can be destroyed individually, but when they are together, they become so strong that external influence does not bring tangible harm.

What are these components that do not allow them to break? - These are all those qualities and states that we live in our lives. Separately.

Confidence in our skills and qualities, that we can cope with certain tasks, is the first plus in the treasury of the Power of Spirit. And it’s very simple - any skills and qualities can be developed if you show perseverance and patience. Yes, at the same time Strength of mind will also increase. We simply train every day in the chosen direction, strengthen some particular skill, and at the same time strengthen Strength of mind, because this skill will be useful to us in a difficult situation. Yes, it's that simple - first you need to choose a skill, and then start training it.

Awareness of your Goal, that is, understanding your Path, is the next plus that adds the Power of the Spirit. If we don’t see where we have to come, if we don’t realize where we are now, then our life will look like aimless rushing from one thing to another. And without seeing the final goal, it is very easy for us to be led not only astray from the Path, but also generally confused in life.

Persistence and Patience also help increase the Power of Spirit. Due to what? - For starters, if they put effort into acquiring skills. We work hard to develop our skills and strengthen our Spirit. But in themselves, these are also effective components that increase the Power of the Spirit. You show Persistence, but not blindly, O Conscious One, you understand “Why do you need to be persistent?” - and this gives additional strength to action.

And at the same time, Patience - when something doesn’t work out the first time - it’s important to understand “what?”, “how?” Do and Realize “why is this so?” - Patience helps you move on. You endure, you give your strength to endure, but at the same time your Strength of mind increases.

It increases even more when you Accept. You don’t just endure, but you accept a situation, a person, an action. Because it means that you are filled, not empty. Only a person filled inside can sincerely accept what happens to him.

Where does fullness come from? - Out of Unconditional Love for yourself and people, as well as Unconditional Trust in the World. And both of these qualities especially greatly increase the Power of the Spirit. They can increase the Power of the Spirit many times over - their strength is so great. Because this is a manifestation of Trust in God. And a person may completely lack all other qualities, but if there is Unconditional Trust in the Divine, then only due to this he becomes a very Strong Spirit.

Internal support from our friends and loved ones - and now we no longer feel lonely, but boldly go in the chosen direction. Have you seen how difficult it is for those who do not have such support to walk? - Yes, their inner Power of Spirit is greatly undermined. And the support of loved ones helps even when they are thousands of kilometers away. Another big plus that adds Strength of Spirit.

The ability to Forgive is a very important quality for the Strong in Spirit. Do you think it is easy to forgive those actions that caused a person to suffer? - Only a few are capable of this - those who have realized that Forgiveness brings relief from Pain. Those who want to move forward and not cling to the past.

To see every event that happens as Positive for yourself - this means not to give in to doubts about the chosen Path. Finding opportunities rather than overcoming obstacles - this attitude in life also adds a plus to the Power of the Spirit.

And there are qualities that, on the contrary, weaken the Power of the Spirit. First of all, it is egoism, a manifestation of our own Ego. When we think that we will achieve everything ourselves, when we are not aware of the invisible support of the World, when we refuse what it gives us, then our Strength of Spirit begins to weaken because we individually break each of the twigs that strengthen it.

Doubts, Suspiciousness, Envy, Expectation of bad things, Internal fears - all this also invisibly weakens the Power of the Spirit.

And therefore, Humility - as well as Unconditional Love and Unconditional Trust - increases the Power of the Spirit. After all, it means - Getting rid of your ego, Acceptance of the situation and person and Trust in the Divine. And thanks to this, the stronger the Humility, the Stronger the Spirit we become.

(c) Anel Radiant

What is fortitude? What is it and “what is it eaten with”?

- this is a person’s ability to force himself to do something through “I can’t.” It is this that is the main driving factor in achieving the goal. It is this that often becomes the reason for the last effort to achieve victory, when standard physical capabilities are already completely exhausted.

By and large, fortitude is a person’s internal energy. Every individual possesses it to a greater or lesser extent. This energy is not “disposable”, as some believe, but accumulates and is passed on from generation to generation.

Everyone has fortitude. The way the world works is that in most cases it manifests itself only under negative factors. This could be a minimal burst of strength that gets you out of bed in the morning, or it could be a huge surge of energy that helped you accomplish a real Feat. Physical and moral suffering, great emotional stress, the need to complete the work begun at all costs, opens the way to strength of spirit. It is this force that then begins to move a person.

In emergency situations, when the human body releases all its hidden capabilities, a reassessment of values ​​and priorities often occurs. In these cases, a person realizes that everything material is secondary. Spirituality comes first. It is she who helps to survive misfortunes, the loss of loved ones, and her own health problems.

It will help you overcome a lot, gain invaluable experience, and achieve peaks in sports and work. Spiritual strength is like an engine that we start by hand. At first we make an effort on ourselves, the engine starts weakly, but over time it works faster and more confidently. Eventually the engine reaches its normal speed and operates in standard mode. This is how the human body is. First, he does certain things through force, and the strength of spirit in this movement plays the role of the main driving force. Over time, the body begins to adapt and get used to it, to activate its strength and knowledge, and the role of fortitude comes down to simply controlling the process, making sure that nothing interferes with it.

If you fail to activate your inner strengths at critical moments in your life, it may end badly for you. Every day we see before us examples of people who “gave up” in difficult moments. Over time, they lost their human appearance, and sometimes their life.

Today's life is full of stress. Events change with kaleidoscopic speed, and this leaves an additional imprint on the physical and mental state of a person. Competition at work, for a seat on public transport, and abnormal weather conditions also do not add positive emotions. All this together can easily lead to a psychological breakdown.

In order to resist all this, a modern person must be strong in spirit. In the modern world, setting a goal for yourself is not enough; you must gather your willpower and go towards it. Go ahead, make roundabout maneuvers, it doesn’t matter how, but go. A goal-oriented person is not interested in whether it is possible to achieve his goal. He poses the question differently: how long will it take me to achieve it?

But here’s the question: what needs to be done to activate the power of the spirit, where to get it, how to measure it?

In our opinion, fortitude is both innate and acquired.

Daily difficulties help us gain strength of spirit. By overcoming them, we gain knowledge, experience, and strengthen our will. An elementary example of instilling fortitude is the army. Whatever they say about our army now, it helps to cultivate fortitude in young people. In fact, any situation where your capabilities are limited, but maximum output is required of you, forces you to “jump over your head.”

The most important thing when cultivating willpower and fortitude is to start small. Force yourself to get up early in the morning in inclement weather and run 500 meters. Tomorrow – 600, the day after tomorrow – 700, etc. Over time, your will and muscles will become stronger, and you will do it without much strain. Remember, any training, physical or psychological, starts with light loads. If you start with big ones, you may not only lose the desire for these activities forever, but also significantly damage your health.

Now about the innateness of fortitude. Only an individual who is fully aware of his actions can train willpower. In other words, for this you must have experience, accumulated knowledge, you must clearly set and understand your goal. And now the question is: where do young children get all these qualities, because they are acquired only over the years? But there are so many kids who strive to achieve something without pressure from their parents, and often they simply don’t have parents.

There can be only one answer - we have willpower from birth. It may be great, it may not be great and require further training efforts. But one thing can be said 100% - only purposeful people with great willpower achieve success in any field.

The content of the article:

Fortitude is a character trait in which a person goes towards his goal no matter what. And this is something that not everyone can boast of. But this concept should not be confused with willpower, because there is a difference between the ability to endure circumstances and the ability to fight a problem. Some people believe that it is almost impossible to cultivate such a quality in oneself. However, research from psychologists suggests the opposite.

The influence of fortitude on human life

At first glance, a person’s life is influenced by the presence of factors such as love, health, wealth and career growth. Of course, all this is important for everyone who dreams of happiness and prosperity. However, all these indicators are interconnected as follows:

  • Health. Some people often ask themselves why the most delicious things sometimes have a detrimental effect on a person's overall well-being. A small piece of chocolate will definitely not harm anyone who loves sweets. Against the background of greedy and fanatical eating of everything that makes up the list of desserts existing in the world, obesity or diabetes may develop. An unhealthy passion for heavy food will also have an unfavorable effect on the figure of a junk food fanatic and will lead to a large number of chronic diseases. If, against this background, the average person is an adherent of a sedentary (in the worst case, a recumbent) lifestyle, then a victorious and impressive cross can be put on good health. The strength of the human spirit in this case can work wonders in terms of returning any individual to a healthy way of life.
  • Love. It would seem, what does fortitude have to do with amorous relationships? However, practice shows that hysterical and capricious persons can often lose the favorable disposition of their chosen one. Love is a fragile flower that withers due to constant showdowns. To adore in spite of has become an excuse for weak-willed people who are unable to keep their emotions under control. Lack of willpower in this case can destroy even the strongest and most friendly family. However, fortitude is the ability to not give up and work on a relationship until the end. The easiest thing is to lose your love, but few can fight for it.
  • Wellbeing. Financial wealth is either acquired thanks to rich relatives, or is acquired through one’s own efforts. Lacking willpower, the child of rich parents will waste every penny. At the same time, the spender will manage to get into gambling debts or begin to abuse drugs. Money is a big test for any person. The thing to be most wary of is easy money, when even sane people can develop an unhealthy appetite for waste. Well-being directly depends on a person’s presence of fortitude, because only a stingy person in the good sense of the word can save and fight for the capital he receives.
  • Career advancement. In this case, you simply cannot do without training your fortitude. Competition in modern society is so high that people of a tactful nature will have a hard time fighting for a place in the sun. No one claims that you need to literally go over the heads of your competitors, but it never hurts to show yourself as a strong-willed person.
Psychologists insist that willpower and spirit are good in moderation. You cannot put yourself in such strict limits that a person turns into a callous and calculating cynic. Such people are dangerous because they morally destroy everyone who shows the slightest weakness under difficult life circumstances.

Signs of lack of fortitude in a person


Sometimes even a weak-willed introvert does not consider that he lacks willpower and spirit. Psychologists have clearly identified signs by which one can identify a person without voiced qualities:
  1. Inability to say “No”. A lot of problems in life are connected precisely with this factor. We are afraid of offending someone with our refusal, putting ourselves in the position of a silent victim. A kind person who does not value himself and his personal time often becomes a passive and often controlled loser. Developing fortitude primarily implies the ability to say a clear “No” if his personal plans differ from the wishes of the petitioner.
  2. Self-indulgence. There is a category of people who cannot refuse a simply wonderful person the reflection of a mirror. We look - we admire - we follow our bad habits. As a result, with the recommended strict diet, gluttons eat the entire contents of the refrigerator with enviable pleasure. People prone to alcoholism and smoking enthusiastically claim that with the advent of a bright tomorrow, everything will be strictly eradicated and controlled. At the same time, they consider themselves to be the owners of iron willpower and spirit, which essentially is not the case.
  3. Tendency to fantasize. The question immediately arises about the compatibility of elementary lies with the presence of fortitude in a person. However, keeping your mouth shut and engaging in self-improvement is an overwhelming task for many. Here it is appropriate to cite as an example the wonderful expression that fools and roads are often to blame for the problem. Abstracting from the problem of road supplies, it is worth thinking about the second provoking factor for many people. Fantasizing suits representatives of creative professions, but in everyday life it simply looks like a lack of willpower and spirit in a person.
  4. Lack of control over one's behavior in society. Weak-willed people and outright liars are comparable to aggressors who do not know how to control themselves. Each person must take his will into his fist in the face of obvious provocation from those who like to fray other people’s nerves. You can talk for a long time about choleric people, for whom a loud cry and outburst of emotions only bring joy. However, the fact remains that the type of temperament is not a reason for weak-willed actions. Strength of spirit is the ability to resist fate, and not the pursuit of adventure on your own.
It should be remembered that all the factors described have nothing to do with people who are in a state of prolonged shock. The death of a loved one or the betrayal of loved ones can put even the most persistent and strong into a state of severe depression. During this period, people with iron willpower simply withdraw into themselves and adapt to the situation that has arisen to recover from stress.

How to properly develop your mental strength

Psychologists have said a lot about active actions to acquire willpower. In this case, they broadcast extensively about training the mortal body, the fight against laziness and other attributes of destroying a person’s weak character. However, much less has been said about how to strengthen fortitude. A well-known fact is that the psychology of men and women is radically different in terms of reactions to certain life situations. Therefore, it is necessary to distinguish between fortitude training for the weaker and stronger sex in order to avoid annoying inaccuracies.

Development of fortitude in men


The strong half of humanity often denies such a pathology as a lack of fortitude. For many representatives of the stronger sex, this seems like a humiliation to their pride, so they bravely hide the problem from others. However, a man’s fortitude begins with sober self-esteem, if only because it is positioned with the concept of an accomplished personality.

Experts in the field of studying the human soul advise the stronger sex to develop it in this way:

  • Positioning yourself as Superman. Ultimately, of course, you won’t have to save humanity from an impressive monster or a meteorite that has gone astray. It’s just that in this situation it doesn’t hurt to find qualities in yourself that will not only increase the seeker’s self-esteem, but also become an example for others to follow. However, it should be understood that this does not mean simple posturing, lies and embellishment of one’s merits, but real actions for the sake of children, family, and society.
  • Creating a “impossible is possible” situation. Everyone, even the most self-confident man (with the exception of Narcissists frozen in narcissism) has his own complexes. Even the most sought after super male is afraid of something, but only he and his nightmares know about it. In this case, fortitude is trained by facing horror face to face. A man can try to climb a mountain peak with a fear of heights or defend his point of view in front of his tyrant mother-in-law. The latter, by the way, is unsafe and is recommended as a last resort.
  • Improving physical fitness. Few people will be inspired by a superman who will be a worthy competitor to the prima ballerina of the Bolshoi Theater. He will receive a lot of attention to his person, but all this will be expressed in mockery and outright mockery. Many masters of hand-to-hand combat are quite small in stature, but everyday work and a tough regime allowed them to dictate terms to thugs with fragile health. Strength of spirit in this case is self-torture for the good.
  • Learning from a Positive Example. Since childhood, a boy learns everything according to the following scheme: mom - dad - school - friends. All this is very good if such an experience has positive roots. However, a man is able to change at any age if he positions himself as a strong personality. You don’t have to advertise the idol you choose to follow, but you can really train your fortitude using the example of the best representatives of humanity.

Development of fortitude in women


Representatives of the fair sex are often capricious in their desires and do not want to improve themselves. All this does not apply to improving external data, on which real coquettes are willing to spend 25 hours a day with a less generous daily time limit.

A woman's fortitude often lies in eating low-calorie foods while being able to enjoy a veal chop with a great side dish. In this case, they hold on until the end, because admiring glances towards friends and simply unfamiliar beauties cause terrible pangs of inadequacy in many women.

However, it is possible for the most beautiful half of humanity to develop fortitude under the following conditions:

  1. Find out the cause of the problem. Many ladies are simply unable to understand what is wrong with them. The most important mistake in this case is comparing yourself with another woman. It is possible that the Valkyrie neighbor is not at all as cool as she is trying to position herself. Even a fragile girl can fight for her place in the sun, so self-analysis should accompany any woman throughout her life.
  2. Always be ready. Any woman (with the exception of a nun with a strong position in the form of renunciation of everything earthly) tries to be the most beautiful and desirable. Often at home she walks around in stretched tights and selflessly smokes through the window. But as soon as a lady gets ready to go out in public, the “clean her feathers” signal immediately goes off. Mental strength training can involve self-care on a regular basis, rather than while you're cruising around the block.
  3. Restricting the use of forbidden fruit. For a woman who loves sweets, giving it up is a manifestation of fortitude. Ladies who cannot live without shopping can be called heroes when removed from this activity. In this case, either self-hypnosis or visiting a good psychotherapist will help. You should not be afraid of such visits, because a competent specialist will help you find the cause of the problem. After all, women often begin to eat or smoke a lot when they are stressed.
How to develop willpower - watch the video:


It is known that fortitude is an acquired ability to adapt to life’s difficulties. Very often in this case, it is important to have the support of true friends who will help you get through a difficult period. How to develop fortitude is up to each individual to decide. However, it is worth remembering that in pursuit of an iron shell for the soul, you should not forget about your essence and the people around you.

Man is a unique creature with an incredible number of innate and acquired abilities. The formation of character, including strength of spirit, throughout adult life, a person is influenced by factors such as society, family, and immediate environment. Often this experience turns out to be imposed from the outside, which causes weakened willpower, and in some cases, lack of will. But this is until a person himself comes to the conclusion that everyone must manage his life by applying a whole series of volitional efforts.

Why develop fortitude?

Throughout life, a person is faced with a lot of circumstances that require decisions to be made. This often requires excessive effort and the manifestation of reserve abilities, such as stamina, firmness, and endurance. What’s interesting is that if they are developed to a small extent, a person lets everything take its course, or uses the opinions of others for his own purposes. Therefore, vital decisions that could change his life for the better are made by other people. But this does not mean at all that it will have a positive impact on the quality of life. In most cases, it’s quite the opposite.

In stressful situations, when it is necessary to show courage and gather strength, weak-willed people very often give up their positions and look for a place in life where they are able to fully prove themselves as “heroes” - alcohol, gambling, drug addiction. The reason for such a choice is often a lack of fortitude, the seeds of which were not planted by the parents during upbringing. Lack of love and attention in childhood can often come back to haunt you with serious problems in adult life - lack of initiative, weakness of character, inability to make decisions, fear of making a mistake.

Growing up, a person comes to the conclusion that he does not want to live under the influence of society’s attitudes, so he takes the reins of his life into his hands and begins painstaking work on his own consciousness, which makes adjustments to his character, thereby changing attitudes and forming new habits. And this, in turn, affects a person’s future life.

Ways to develop fortitude

Fortitude is a kind of energy reserve that a person must replenish and strengthen through his own efforts. To develop self-control, perseverance and perseverance in difficult situations, you will need a lot of work on yourself, since you will have to change life attitudes that have been formed over a long time.

So, what does it take to develop spiritual powers?

  • Physical exercise is the basis for beginning to develop the ability to achieve specific results. Sport brings out the best qualities of a person, which help him focus on his own desires and develop self-discipline.
  • Meditation is an excellent way to increase concentration and distract from irritating external factors, which will have a positive effect on a person’s mental state.
  • You can form a positive outlook on life by eliminating unpleasant people from your life, a kind of “energy vampires” who use the psyche of another person to recharge themselves.
  • Rest and regular walks in the fresh air have the best effect on the human nervous system, allowing you to get rid of accumulated problems over a certain period. Therefore, it is very important, especially after a busy day at work, to reward yourself with good and quality time in nature.
  • Changing your worldview and taking responsibility for your own life. After all, no one else can determine what might be better for this or that person, and naturally, has no right to influence someone’s life.


What qualities need to be developed for fortitude?

To get the most out of your volitional abilities, you need to focus your efforts on developing the following qualities:

  • self-control;
  • positive thinking;
  • perseverance;
  • self-discipline;
  • optimism;
  • self improvement;
  • organization;
  • durability.


Developing fortitude is not only about defining life goals, but also working hard to achieve your plans. And this will require a fair amount of concentration, determination and strength of character, the development and strengthening of which should be worked on throughout life.