2. Its Only After We've Lost Everything That We're Free To Do Anything Post-Traumatic Growth
Although this one might be pretty hard to understand unless you've encountered a life-altering situation, the philosophy is sound. The idea that
losing all hope is freedom can be seen in how attitudes and mind-sets change following a trauma. In the psychology world, (please take notes class) this is known as post traumatic growth. For example, a 2009 study by Crystal Park (and others) in the Journal of General and Internal Medicine found that 83% of cancer survivors reported a more positive identity. Two of the leading writers on post-traumatic growth, Tedeschi & Calhoun note how often the attempt to understand human suffering appears in literary works, and therefore as a result in film. In Fight Club trauma and personal growth isn't a result, it's the goal. In the book, the narrator says "
At the time, my life just seemed too complete, and maybe we have to break everything to make something better of ourselves." The narrator creates Tyler to help him change his boring and unfulfilled life, and the only way he could see this creation was through self-destruction. The difficulty in learning from this philosophy lies in the ability to grasp this new appreciation of the world without having to, you know, nearly die. But the answer could lie with being able to understand the everyday trauma around us. Harness the appreciation and understanding that even if we are not happy with our lives, we are lucky enough to have the chance to change it.