The Breaking Point
- Ishaa Asim
- Mar 29
- 2 min read
It occurred to me the other day that whilst my friend told me of their choice to stop their university course, everyone has completely different concepts of reaching breaking point. What’s yours?
We were sat at dinner and I told them about an experience I had gone through a few months ago. They told that it wasn’t normal (which I knew) but that if they had gone through that too, they would reacted completely differently.
It made me think about how we all have some kind of personal threshold for how much we can tolerate - whether it is university, whether it is work, whether it is relationships. And sometimes we tell ourselves that we have to suffer for a period of time in order to get to the long-term gain but. But people are all different - where some may choose to suffer through, others would recognise the damage and stop before it gets worse. And at the same time, two people can go through the same challenges but respond in contrasting ways. One person’s breaking point is another person’s comfort zone.
I don’t think there is a correct way or response really. Everyone is resilient to an extent but even the strongest of pillars can wither. The breaking point can be tested repeatedly but the only person who knows if it’s reached is you.
That conversation just forced me to assess what is considered normal and what humans can deem as extreme. You can become desensitised to conditions because you’ve spent so long working or surviving in them.
The breaking point is unique. Perhaps more challenges and opportunities shift it, because your breaking point has to be
contextualised with the new events in your life. Your breaking point 5 years ago almost certainly won’t be what it is today. Maybe it’s higher. Maybe it’s lower.
When you understand what your breaking point is, you can try to avoid it. You may even be surprised at how well you can cope, which in my experience is better that you think.
This was an incredibly insightful read! Your deep dive into the concept of a breaking point—how it manifests and how to navigate it—really resonated with me. I appreciate the balanced perspective on struggle and resilience. The practical strategies you shared make it not just thought-provoking but also actionable. Thank you for this valuable piece!