He knows not his own strength that has not met adversity.

Hearken to the words of Ben Jonson, poet of England and sharp observer of the human condition, who declared: “He knows not his own strength that has not met adversity.” These words ring with the power of truth, for they remind us that strength untested is strength unknown, and that only through trial do we discover the depth of our endurance and the measure of our courage.

When Jonson speaks of strength, he does not mean merely the power of the body, but also the resilience of the spirit, the steadfastness of the mind, and the endurance of the soul. Many imagine themselves strong in times of ease, when the seas are calm and the skies are clear. But in such hours, their strength is only imagined, never proven. True strength reveals itself only when the storm rises, when adversity presses upon the heart, and when one is left with no choice but to stand or to fall.

Consider the life of Abraham Lincoln. Before he became a symbol of freedom and union, he endured crushing personal failures—loss in elections, financial ruin, the death of loved ones, and the shadow of melancholy. Had he known only ease, he might never have discovered the strength that would later carry him through the blood and fire of civil war. It was adversity that revealed to him, and to the world, the resilience that dwelt within his soul.

The ancients too bore witness to this truth. The Spartans trained not in comfort, but in hardship, for they knew that without trial, men remained untested. Their valor at Thermopylae was not born in the moment of battle, but in years of discipline and pain. It was adversity that honed their courage, adversity that proved their strength to themselves and to all who came after. Without the fire, even the finest steel remains brittle; with the fire, it becomes unbreakable.

Jonson’s words arise from this same eternal principle: that the knowledge of oneself comes not from ease but from struggle. A man who has never been tested cannot truly say what lies within him. He may hope he is courageous, he may believe he is resilient, but until he has faced suffering, loss, or danger, his conviction is but theory. It is the encounter with adversity that strips away illusion and reveals the core of who we are.

The lesson for us is clear: do not flee adversity as though it were an enemy only. See it also as a teacher, a mirror that reveals your hidden strength. When trial comes, do not despair, but understand that you are being given the chance to know yourself more deeply. In hardship, you discover courage. In failure, you uncover perseverance. In loss, you find the power to endure.

Practical actions are these: when life is hard, do not curse the darkness, but look within and ask, “What strength is this trial calling forth in me?” Remember past struggles and let them remind you of the strength you already possess. Step willingly into challenges that refine your character, rather than seeking always the path of ease. Encourage others when they are tested, reminding them that adversity is not the end, but the forge of growth.

Thus Jonson’s words endure as timeless wisdom: “He knows not his own strength that has not met adversity.” Take them to heart, O listener, and remember that every trial is an invitation to discover the unshakable power that dwells within you. For the storm does not come to destroy you, but to reveal you—and when it passes, you shall know at last the full measure of your strength.