The indomitable Human Spirit
Caption: David Victorious Over Goliath, Royal Collection
The key to the meaning of life seems to lie in the quests we set for ourselves, and the struggle we endure in fulfilling them. To achieve our quests, we need to harness our indomitable human spirit.
What is the indomitable human spirit?
I was introduced to the concept of the indomitable human spirit in the book The Book of Hope co-written by the late Dr Jane Goodall. Throughout her long career, Jane was an activist fighting to give the world a better future.
In a nutshell, the indomitable human spirit is our tendancy to not give up and keep fighting in the face of adversity.
I'm sure you and I have all encountered this spirit in one way or another. From firefighters who rush into burning buildings, to the student staying up all night cramming for an exam the next day. I myself experienced my indomitable human spirit in a relationship crisis not too long ago.
In this post, I thought I'd highlight a few examples of the indomitable human spirit that I came across recently. I hope it gives you an idea of what it is so that you can find your own indomitable human spirit in times of hardship.
Some examples of the indomitable human spirit
I had originally started writing this post on 25 Jan 2026, the day Alex Honnold free solo'd Taipei 101. Putting aside some of the controversies around the ascent (you can find a comprehensive video by Hannah Morris here), his achievement is a prime example of the indomitable human spirit.
In an interview with CNN, Alex tells us about the long road which led to him standing victoriously on top of Taipei 101. Alex had been toying with the idea of climbing a skyscraper like Taipei 101 for almost 12 years. Through determination, preparation, dedication, and all other -ations, Alex made his dream a reality.
We find our next example of the indomitable human spirit worth sharing in the Oscar nominated movie, Marty Supreme. Marty Supreme is loosely based on the life of Marty Reisman, a table tennis player from New York. In the movie, Timothée Chalamet plays Marty Mauser, an up and coming table tennis player.
I shall try to keep this as spoiler free as possible. If you'd like to know nothing about the movie, then feel free to skip to the next heading.
In a series of unfortunate events, we find Marty down on his luck having to care for his friend. But despite all odds, he never once shows any signs of giving up. Regarless of the situation he finds himself in, he immediately turns his attention to what he can control, making the situation work in his favour.
I loved this quote from the movie that succinctly captures the indomitable human spirit within Marty in his quest to become the number one table tennis player in the world:
"I have a purpose. You don’t. And if you think that’s some sort of blessing, it’s not. It puts me at a huge life disadvantage. It means I have an obligation to see a very specific thing through. And with that obligation comes sacrifice, okay?"
-Marty Mauser, Marty Supreme
How can one cultivate the indomitable human spirit?
According to Jane, the method to cultivate the indomitable human spirit lies in hope. Jane tells us not to confuse hope with wishful thinking, manifesting or inaction. Instead, Jane defines hope in the following way:
"Hope is what enables us to keep going in the face of adversity. It's what we desire to happen, but we must be prepared to work hard to make it so."
-Dr Jane Goodall, The Book of Hope
"Why should I bother with hope or the indomitable human spirit?", you might ask. Well the answer to that question is simple. Without it, you are much less likely to persevere when the going gets tough.
In the book, we hear the story of a girl from a death camp during the holocaust told by Dr Edith Eger. Despite being very ill, one of the girls in the death camp would get up each morning and look well enough to avoid the gas chamber. Each night after a hard day's work, she would collapse into bed barely hanging on.
When asked what kept her going, she responded that she believed they would get out by Christmas. But Christmas came and went and she was still there. She died the very next day.
Another famous saying that I keep coming back to when I start to lose hope is the Stockdale Paradox:
"You must never confuse faith that you will prevail in the end (hope)—which you can never afford to lose—with the discipline to confront the most brutal facts of your current reality, whatever they might be."
-Admiral Stockdale, Good to Great
In the throws of a difficult situation (like job loss or the disintegration of a marriage), Stockdale Paradox reminds us to hold onto hope. No matter how hopeless our current situation may seem, we must truly believe that we will overcome it. At the same time, we need to confront reality and deal with the situation regardless of how uncomfortable it may be.
Be warned, the indomitable human mirage
History is full of great examples of the indomitable human spirt. From Nelson Mandela, who endured 27 gruelling years in prison to end apartheid—to Mahathma Gandi, who through peaceful demonstrations led to the end of colonialism in India.
But history is also filled with examples of feats of bravery done in the name of harming one another. From the fear mongering by Bin Laden that culminated in 9/11. To the countless aggressors in history who go to war taking the lives of so many to satisfy the whims of a few.
Jane cautions against this effect which I have dubbed the indomitable human mirage. A captivating cause which tends to marginalise or harm others to satisfy the needs of a group.
"What's the cure to the indomitable human mirage?", you might ask. Personally, I believe the easiest and surest way is thought talking and listening to each other.
I'm not talking about pretend listening, where the listener is engrossed in building a counter argument. I mean true listening, one free from prejudice and judgement with the sole purpose of building a better picture of the speaker's inner world and experience.
Hope you found this post interesting. Have thoughts you'd like to share? Do leave a comment on Mastodon or email tony(at)tonytriesstuff(dot)com to let me know!
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Until next time,
Tony
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Postscript: I had originally written this post for the indie web carnival, but alas, I am over two weeks too late!