To me, it's about balance.
Too difficult an issue=too much damage to recover
Too easy a time = too blasé an attitude to accomplish Anthony

You can only bend so far before you break so badly that you cannot heal back to full strength.

Conversely: if you are never pressured, how can you know how strong you are?

It's a tautology. If we define "strong" as being able to overcome difficulties, then it boils down to:
"I've never met a person who could overcome difficulties that didn't have difficulties to overcome".
Duh!

Oh geeze... mmmm... Ive had an enriched life. I struggled but it wasnt a bad struggle. I had a grateful life because of fear of failure. Afraid I may have to ask for help and the answer would be no. My asshole dad was the godfather. All help came with a price of loyalty at any cost. Hmmm... the world is a better place without the prick. My fear of failure had me learning all I could to survive. To answer your question... yes I struggled and it made me stronger. I feel secure today.

Well, struggle and survive may require a certain amount of strength. But wow, wouldn't it be great not to have to struggle?

Struggle creates strength as long as there is reward. Without reward struggle will diminish you. As far as leading an easy life causing weakness, who can say if one is never tested?

Relative concepts I think.
Weak by what standard.
Difficult by who's definition.
I've know many who had it no where near easy that are emotional basket cases, and the opposite.
Just another platitude to assuage one's sensibilities I think.

At one time yes. Now l find struggle = exhaustion.

Always thought that Nietzsche quote was pretty stupid. Some stressful events may not kill you but you may never recover: they weaken you forever. Having said that, being such a muscle nerd, if you don't stress your muscle/self you won't get stronger but too much stress prevents recovery.

Define strong and easy

This is a tough one. Just because someone hasn't had to struggle, I don't necessarily agree that they are weak. I just don't think any of us truly know whether we are strong until we are tested. And some tests are unthinkable. Sometimes we think we've managed to endure the worst until we see someone who has been through a hotter fire than ours. It's all relative. I thought my life was bad because I had no shoes until I met a man with no feet. That sort of thing.

I'm incredibly good at making poor life choices so, yes I've struggled. But, at least that's a hardship of my own making. There are others who had things happen that were not a result of their own choices. I do believe that's much more difficult to come through unscathed. It's those final exams that we never had any opportunity to cram for that truly test us.

I would alter that to A strong person never chooses a path simply because it is easy."

In that case, I must be Hercules.......

When humans are in the weightlessness of space for long periods of time their whole body deteriorates. Every physiological system deteriorates. When they come back to live in earths gravity everything returns to normal. At the cellular level we are healthier when loaded down by, and struggling against gravity.

Primitive humans were in constant mortal struggle with their environment then we relieved ourselves of a lot of this burden through technology. Humans invented sports In order to replace the struggle that had been lost. We need it to build/maintain our mental and physical strength. In sports we get the benefit of struggle without the mortal danger of primitive life.

We harness the benefits of struggle in other ways. I like the idea of “disputation arenas” from David Brin
[davidbrin.com]

It's too simplistic. It's not the struggle that makes one strong, but most of us don't know how strong we are until we have to be.

Some people see problems, others see solutions..... It depends on many factors

I wouldn’t say weak, just not seasoned to accept adversity

So let me preface....I am in no way a Nazi...However I have read. Mein Kampf..

One of the few parts that I agreed with was mankind's need for struggle...Without it we would stagnate and not improve or move forward..

I think mankind does it's best work when we have adversity to deal with....Granted not everyone rises to it but for the most part the best way we learn and grow strong is through difficulty.

I think adversity can do one of two things: it could make a person shrink back out of fear and pain, or be a catalyst for growth and change. It's all the way we approach it, and whether or not we can access the resources -- both external and inside ourselves -- to make the changes.

Ya know, a person could ostensibly already be strong without struggle, but they are simply not tested. So we Can't SEE their strength.

I am reminded of the Nazi propaganda on the entrances of concentration camps: "Arbeit macht Frei!"

Hmmmmm I have been known to say that I wouldn't want a best friend whose worst struggle in her life would be breaking the heel on her stiletto on the way to a party. I think struggle assists in making a person more compassionate towards others. Yes, I realize that struggle makes some people bitter but there are not cookie cutter humans

In my mind struggle equals motion; and strength equals stillness.

I think it depends on the person's ability to adapt to and overcome hurdles.

I could compare the life of another person to my own and conclude that they don't know crap about having to struggle.

The next person could say the same about my life and so on.

Turtles bud, turtles.

Whether life is easy or a struggle is but a thought. Both are but interpretations and are determined by thought. Quit thinking so much and live life as it is.

I'm not sure, but if you have a difficult road and are still turning your wheels, I'd say your strong.