The Fate Of Daniel Bryan: Triumph Or Tragedy?

To the original question, then: Shawn Michaels, Kurt Angle, or Chris Benoit? Triumph, trepidation, or tragedy? Wrestling's cyclical nature seems to have cursed Bryan with one of those diverse fortunes, but maybe 'Fighting For His Dreams' has resulted in a fourth way.

The Armenian philosopher George Gurdjieff titled a groundbreaking turn-of-the-century spirituality text as such when he posited that the three traditionally-held paths to enlightenment (Fakir - self-mastery through physical fitness and dominance, Monk - self-mastery through emotional control utilising religion and Yogi - self-mastery through defeating the struggles of maintaining habits and capabilities). The comparisons aren't hard to draw between Benoit, Michaels and Angle respectively. Gurdjieff's Fourth Way loosely broke down into combining all three prior methods as well as constantly working on oneself to find a higher state of conciousness and transform into what somebody "ought to be".

Daniel Bryan was clearly born to be a professional wrestler. It is the man he was ought to be, and the profession he worked to become of a part of yet again. Daniel Bryan has seen the industry he adores through the eyes of Michaels, Angle and Benoit, without ever reaching the precipices they teetered near (and in one case, tragically over). The 'demons' he had to defeat were both physical and mental, with the return to active competition a driving force to overcome both.

Daniel Bryan found his fourth way. The fate of Daniel Bryan is, ultimately, to be Daniel Bryan.