Unpacking my beliefs on physical strength, part 2

Second in a series. Read part one. 

Last year, the world lost a powerful voice in the disability community with the death of Alice Wong. Born with a type of spinal muscular atrophy (SMA), her life was not given much attention by mainstream media, and her ideas weren’t given enough consideration in business and policy discussions.

However, Wong seemed never to be satisfied with leaving inequality unchallenged. She fearlessly called out oppressive structures and policies she felt were ableist. Through her advocacy, which included founding the Disability Visibility Project, she lifted up many disabled voices and relentlessly pursued not only disability rights but also disability justice. In some of the best ways, she afflicted the too-comfortable, and in life was a remarkable cyborg and oracle.

And I think I could have benched more than her, which is, of course, completely irrelevant.

I wrote last time about how I have always considered myself physically weak, particularly as someone with Charcot-Marie-Tooth (CMT) disease. Since then, I’ve tried to reflect on the implications of this, and why physical strength is so alluring and attractive that we seemingly imbue it with virtue, which sometimes may even be valid.

In ancient times, many cultures recognized feats of strength as a way to measure the quality of a person, with great physical strength often being a sufficient reason to grant someone privilege, respect, or even a prized role in the community.

Even now, in our increasingly digital age, physical strength can serve as a useful proxy for other desirable qualities — leadership skills, professional expertise, and the ability to navigate corners of our modern world that rely less on manual labor. Inner strength and grit must surely manifest externally, we believe.

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Woe unto the weak

Perhaps this is why we insist that our superheroes be physically strong and visibly jacked. It’s what we romanticize, what we find inspiring, comforting, and aspirational, a recognition that kindness without power is useless.

Maybe it’s why I see arguments about why physical strength makes me a better employee, a better investment, and a better romantic partner, accompanying videos and articles about proper lifting technique. We privilege the physically strong and discriminate against the visibly weak.

I feel a bit conflicted by this.

People may have good reasons to increase their strength, and it may be good to do that. In fact, many CMTers compete in strength and physique sports. But what about people with chronic conditions and disabilities who must contend with a prejudice against weakness? What can we do to deconstruct these prejudices? Can we ever imagine a future where we don’t assign a value to physical weakness? When “weak” isn’t a pejorative? Can we be more discerning in the ways we advantage the strong?

Must we conflate physical weakness with a lack of capability, especially when humans have proven we are capable of making anything accessible if we exercise the collective will to do so? Instead of dreaming about physical strength as a goal for moving gracefully through a difficult existence, wouldn’t it be better to dream of being liberated from putting ever-increasing demands on ourselves? Can we learn to celebrate strength in all its forms?

Surely, we can recognize that physical strength isn’t a reliable proxy for every virtue it’s imbued with. Getting physically stronger isn’t a shortcut to, or substitute for, emotional growth and maturity. More than physical strength, I desire sufficient grace, power, and care to communicate love and be present for those I care for. Wong demonstrated that kind of grace, achieved that level of power, and wasn’t too numb to care. And, she did it, to my knowledge, without benching three plates.

Having raised these questions, it’s important to say that, while I do believe gains in physical strength may be overrated as a measure of character growth, pursuing physical strength may actually be underrated as a way to improve personal health. But exploring that will have to wait until next time.

Next week, I write about the benefits I’ve found in pursuing strength.

Note: Charcot-Marie-Tooth News is strictly a news and information website about the disease. It does not provide medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. This content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on this website. The opinions expressed in this column are not those of Charcot-Marie-Tooth News or its parent company, Bionews, and are intended to spark discussion about issues pertaining to Charcot-Marie-Tooth.