Developing psychic muscles

[vanos]

Mac - I saw your sig: People need hard times and oppression to develop psychic muscles - Frank Herbert.

Mind if I ramble a bit?
Does it not depend on the type of suffering the person had/has to endure.
There is a fine line where the suffering can also completely break a person down to a pathetic state of mind.

It is said that the best fighters (boxers/soldiers etc) are the ones who suffered in their childhood/teens. I can understand that in a way, since suffering has the potential to imbue a person  with high willpower.
Hard times harden the resolve. The mere fact that you can no longer depend on  others for your survival can make you very independent and resourceful.
The best word to describe it is, your mind can potentially become like a diamond. Focused and hard.  
(Also brittle like a diamond maybe? As in when it does break then, the mind is REALLY screwed?   )

The same can be said of psychic abilities. It takes a hard "fighter" mentality to develop any dormant psychic abilities to a high level.
(By fighter mind I do not mean a violent mind.)

[taoita]

Vanos:
Re: individual/personal situation...the sig is an affirmation not a statement IMO.

[Draco_Platina]

I'm pretty sure that if I ever shatter, no one could piece my mind back together, all they would get are dozens of cuts from the tiny slivers...
Morbid? Yes. True? Sadly.

[majour ka]

Mac - I saw your sig:

People need hard times and oppression to develop psychic muscles - Frank Herbert.

Sorry but thats total rubbish!!

[Greyfox]

I love Hebert's fiction, but I must totally disagree with his idea here.  Psychism, like any other ability, is developed by practice, practice, and more practice.  Then maybe a break for some cookies and milk, reading, meditation, and more practice.

Mostly, hard times just produce hard people.