Human Suffering: The Dilemma of Taking a Stand on What We Can do
Our attitudes towards these feelings
“One day, I was reading a book about Zen Buddhism. The author said, “We don’t have to suffer to live a meaningful and fulfilling life.” For the first time, I realized that I didn’t need any more suffering.” ― Steve Maraboli
I wholeheartedly agree with that quote. It is easier said than done, though.
I'm unconcerned about feeling sad and even being depressed. But as much as I would like to believe that I can control one hundred percent my emotional responses. I am well aware of my emotions' uncontrollable nature and the other factors involved, such as biology and chemistry.
I read Lady Dr. Gabriella Korosi's post on Human Suffering, and again I decided to write this piece rather than a lengthy response.
I have always felt that there are two kinds of suffering. The first part is the undesirable situation itself. The second part is our attitude towards it.
Humans experience pain throughout their entire lifespan. Whether we view the experience as something excruciating or tolerable will determine if we suffer more or less because of it.
What is The Meaning of Suffering?
This is a question that people often ask of all backgrounds, beliefs, and cultures. Suffering has many meanings depending on your mindset. It can be seen as a punishment for wrongdoings or as a way to grow. Some people believe that life is full of suffering and unavoidable, while others believe that life should be without pain or any feeling of struggle.
Suffering is not always something that can be seen or proven. Sometimes it is a state of mind, an idea, a feeling, an emotion. The reason for this is that suffering is different for everyone. Nobody has the same experience with pain and ill will. Even if they have the same experiences, they will interpret them differently depending on who they are as individuals.
But regardless of these differences, almost all people agree that you grow when you experience adversity in life. We become more resilient by facing problems head-on instead of running away from them.
To understand one's suffering in life means understanding oneself better in whole; to accept it means embracing your flaws and life in general, but to ignore it is to ignore a part of who you are as a person. In my opinion, that's not desirable.
In Buddhism, suffering is known as Dukkha. This term can be broken up into three parts:
- "Dukkha," meaning tension or pain.
- "Samudaya," meaning the cause of the stress or pain.
- "Nirodha," which implies cessation — the point at which all suffering ceases completely.
Buddhists believe that life always contains suffering because everything is impermanent and changing from moment to moment. As soon as one thing ends, another begins — causing us to want something we cannot, preventing us from being happy when we get them, and, in the end, forcing us to let go of what we had. But instead of fighting against it and suffering in return, accepting life as-is means experiencing all the joys and sadness without any attachment or resistance.
In my mind, when I look through my past experiences, they're not always happy ones, but even if I didn't like something about myself during that time, I learned something from it. Suffering doesn't disappear overnight, but when it does, you come out on the other side changed for the better.
A life with pain, without suffering
I'm sure that no one would contest the notion that pain is a necessary component of life. It has its advantages, and even if it were possible to live without pain, it seems pointless. Suffering, on the other hand, is an entirely different beast.
For me, suffering is defined by what I do with the pain—the subjective nature of my reaction to my life's circumstances. At times, I may be in pain for "irrelevant" reasons, and at other times I indulge my desire to suffer. Sometimes I'm aware that I'm suffering, but other times not. There are times when I believe that my suffering is "sufficiently justified," and others when I do not perceive a "justification." I can imagine a life without suffering, but I can't imagine a life without pain.
Pain and suffering are essential because they help us grow in different ways. They show us what we're capable of — and even if the worst happens, it's better to be able to handle something than not.
Do you think you can live a life without suffering? The more I learn about neuroscience and psychology, the less concerned I feel about feeling sad or depressed. I now think of it as an opportunity. It doesn't necessarily have to be something awful. It's the way we deal with these feelings that ultimately matters. Don't you think?
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