"Thank You M'am" Before You Read: Going Gets Tough

The cliche; when the going gets tough, the tough gets going almost makes no sense. I understand the point of the phrase which basically states that when life or an event is getting difficult or unfair then your conscious or something inside you sparks that knows you need to push harder. It is almost as a negative motivation that brings positive things. There is truth to this because as we all have experienced this pinch of motivation which I believe is created from ones roots. Basically their foundations or their past. There is no way to prove this but everyone is effected in some way due to their past. I think it is almost a guard put up when the going gets tough. When someone is stressed it is almost all mentally so when someone pushes mentally they will succeed. It is almost logic, but the quote should be restated.