Man will even get used to the gallows. A Slovak proverb (Človek si zvykne aj na šibenicu).
Of all the Slovak proverbs noded here, this one may sound the most extravagant. But it has a deeper meaning than meets the eye.
On a superficial level it is simply an observation. No matter how unpleasant life may get, we have the ability to adapt, or to live with it (to use an English idiom).
Surely, nothing can be more "unpleasant" than the idea of hanging on the gallows. Yet, the hangman gets used to his new condition pretty fast, and just keeps, well, hanging in there.
When we are young, we take a look at all the "gallows" our parents and other members of the previous generation hang in. And we rebel:
Things like that. I'm sure you can think of quite a few "gallows" of your own that you did not want when you were young, or do not want if you still are young.
As we age, reality settles in. We don't always have a choice. Be it karma, bad luck, circumstances, or whatever else we may call it, life often pushes us into situations we'd rather not be in.
And we adapt. Or die. Most of us will choose to adapt rather than to vanish. And then it comes: We get used to it. We hang on the gallows of life for so long that it becomes the norm. We quit trying. Apathy takes over. C'est la vie!
Alternately, we get used to seeing the hangmen around us. It no longer bothers us that others go hungry, homeless, without health care. Here, again, we got used to the gallows. The proverb does not say man will get used to his gallows. Whether it is our own gallows, or the gallows of others, we tend to get used to it. More apathy sets in. More C'est la vie!
My friends, don't get used to the gallows! I mean, do adjust, do adapt, to the situations life will serve you and others. Adaptation is good. But don't get used to it! Don't accept it as inevitable! Don't let apathy set in! Don't give up the fight for a better life for yourself and the others. When shit happens, wipe it off! Then flush the wipe!
Make sure that when you come to the end of your life, you can look back and say: I have hung on many a gallows, but every time I got off stronger!