What Hercules Can Teach Us About Facing Life’s Challenges

The narrative of Hercules at the crossroads has shaped much of Western thought, encapsulating the eternal struggle between a life of comfort or ease, and a life of virtue. The choice Hercules is offered at these crossroads epitomises the human struggle with self-discipline and endurance.

In the myth, the young Hercules, already known to be one of the God Zeus’s mightiest sons, finds himself at a literal and metaphorical fork in the road. Here he encounters two goddesses, each offering him divergent paths that symbolise life’s potential trajectories.

The first is Kakia, named Vice but who calls herself Happiness. She is enchantingly beautiful, her allure magnified by her promise to Hercules of an easy life filled with luxury and pleasure obtained at the expense of others. She seductively suggests that following her would mean an easy and comfortable life devoid of hardships – a tempting offer that promises immediate gratification and comfort.

The second goddess, Aretê (Virtue), presents a stark contrast. Plain in appearance yet possessing a natural beauty, she offers Hercules a challenging path. She warns of a life that would be arduous and fraught with dangers and trials greater than any man might bear. Aretê outlines a journey where true happiness and fulfilment can only be achieved through continuous effort, moral integrity and the overcoming of great adversities. She emphasises that nothing genuinely worthy or admirable can be attained without significant struggle and perseverance.

Hercules’s choice  

Faced with these choices, Hercules chooses the path of Aretê, embracing the promise of a life filled with meaningful challenges over one of superficial ease and comfort, as offered by Kakia. This choice leads to his legendary ‘12 labours’ – tasks so daunting that they would crush any ordinary man. Hercules not only faces these trials but also overcomes them with extraordinary courage and wisdom.

Hercules’s journey was marked by immense struggles and suffering, culminating in his tragic death from a poisoned garment. Yet, the moral integrity and greatness of spirit he displayed throughout his trials led Zeus to bestow on him the ultimate honour – that of deification (becoming a god).

Hercules’s choice teaches that embracing challenges and living virtuously, though often difficult, is ultimately more rewarding and fulfilling, leading to a life to be proud of. Through this ancient myth, we are reminded that true happiness is not handed to us but must be earned through a steadfast commitment to living virtuously and embracing challenges.

This poses the fundamental question: what type of life do you wish to lead?

At the crossroads 

Today, we stand at our own crossroads, but the choice has morphed in ways the ancient Greeks couldn’t have imagined. While Hercules chose between virtue and vice, we’re choosing between vitality and stagnation, between biological excellence and accelerating decline.

The path of Kakia has evolved, no longer promising obvious debauchery but instead seductive comfort – climate-controlled environments, convenient foods and endless entertainment that cocoon us from the very challenges that make us strong.

Meanwhile, the modern embodiment of Aretê asks us to embrace not just moral virtue but also physiological wisdom – to reclaim the robust health so many of our ancestors took for granted.

The decisions we make today – whether to succumb to the siren calls of modern-day Kakia or to follow the rigorous trails blazed by Aretê – will determine our own health and vitality, and that of generations to come.

The choice you face 

This is your call to action: to reject the deceptive ease of a life of comfort and convenience (which is unlikely to end well) and to instead dive deep into the tumultuous but ultimately rewarding waters of a fully engaged life. Choosing to deliberately cultivate psychological and physiological hardiness is what this book is all about.

By redefining your relationship with discomfort, reconnecting with the inherent wisdom of ancient philosophers and implementing the research provided by modern science, you can reclaim robust physical and mental health and enduring happiness.

The choice you face is this: do you want to end up on your deathbed, reflecting on your life and thinking, That was a life of ease and comfort, or do you want to reflect, That was a life that was full of challenges, but one that I can be proud of?

Edited extract from The Hardiness Effect: Grow from stress, optimise health, live longer by Dr Paul Taylor (Wiley, $34.95).