Nietzsche (1997/1889) cited in Haidt (2006, p135) stated that, “What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger”. The adversity hypothesis states that people require adversity, trauma and setbacks in order to grow, find fulfilment, develop as a person and find their inner strength. Can this be true? Reams of literature over the past 50 years has documented the negative effects that stress and trauma have on humans. Depression, anxiety, heart disease and posttraumatic stress disorder all result from trauma and stress, however more recent literature is beginning to address the notion that stress and trauma can actually be good for people (Haidt, 2006).