At Our Edge & What We Do When Pushed There

During our everyday lives we are rarely brought to a point where we think that we've hit the edge, our limitations for emotional, mental, or physical stress. However when we are driven to those point we normally only have 2 options, we either fail terribly and fall apart, or we excel past our old limits, becoming a stronger individual sometimes even happy for the experience occurring. What is it that decides what we will do when we get to these points, is there some deciding factor internally buried deep inside of us, or is just something spur of the moment that happens. Does our life background help us to choose, or is it that our environment and/or past nurturing has no affect on us at these moments. Before any conclusions are drawn up remember that during some of the darkest days in humanity, common citizens of each age and gender have stepped forward to answer the call, yet at other times it seems only people with specialized experience can handle the pressure in stark situations. A simple yes or no will never be satisfactory as an answer to what makes us choose who we are in those moments, since who we are in these moments almost always has a resounding effect on our lives and normally the lives of others as well.