Member-only story
Should You Suffer Now to Enjoy Life Later?
We’re stuck in an age-old dichotomy.
Work hard now, reap the rewards later. Enjoy life now, suffer the consequences later. We’re told you can’t have both, especially not at the same time.
When you’re stuck doing something that makes you unhappy, the feeling worsens when you look around and notice other people enjoying themselves. To console yourself, you tell yourself that same line.
You’re suffering now so that you can have a better future down the road. Meanwhile, others who aren’t suffering are going to have to pay the price later. It all evens out in the end.
The question is: Does it?
Why is suffering seen as a prized state of being? Is there something to be gained from pain?
The Point of Suffering
In his best-selling memoir, Man’s Search for Meaning, author Viktor Frankl describes life in Nazi death camps and the lessons on what it takes to survive. Based on his observations, those who found meaning in their everyday lives were more likely to cope with obstacles and hardships.
Frankl argues that having a purpose is the key to getting through difficult circumstances. We are not primarily driven by the pursuit of pleasure, as others previously claimed…
