Struggle is a Unit Test

An interesting analogy occurred to me when I was discussing life's struggles with my friends. The topic of discussion was that of choice. Particularly, the choice we have when an overwhelming feeling occurs. When such a feeling occurs, the default path is to react instinctively to that feeling. If a strong fear or panic occurs, we may resort to avoidance or aggression. If a strong desire occurs, we may resort to deception, manipulation, or forcefulness to obtain the thing we desire.

However, at every such moment, life presents a choice: do we react, or do we acknowledge the feeling and let it pass? Outwards? or inwards? This is the test can make or break your character as a human being. If we fail to acknowledge the feeling, we might end up seeing the same type of problem occurring again and again, because when the same type of feeling occurs, you will automatically react to it.

Instead of seeing this type of repeated suffering as unfortunate, I am starting to see them as opportunities.

We've all heard the saying "struggle builds character" but it may only be half accurate. With the understanding above, I feel struggle is actually a lot like a unit test in software development. In software development, test-driven development, or TDD, is a concept that, before writing a certain functionality, a developer first starts by writing a unit test that exercises that functionality. Of course, at first run, the test will fail, because the functionality doesn't exist yet. Then the developer will go through the cycle of develop, then test, develop, then test, over and over again until the test passes.

Regardless of whether your mind is ready, struggles will occur. It will continue to prod and poke, explore your worst fears and your biggest weaknesses until you finally get the right answer. Struggle builds character, only if you choose to do it.

It goes without saying, unlike coding (or like coding, depending on how you feel about it) this process is extremely difficult and painful. Sometimes the unforgiving nature of the test will break your mind. Sometimes the test finds you at an age way too young, when you are not ready to answer it. But for better or for worse, the test will reoccur until you get it right. I hope we all (myself included) find the strength to make the most out of the tests.