Frankly Existential

Suffering: To Be Escaped or Embraced?

Which path is best to take? First, what do we mean by best? Is the best path that which leads to the greatest pleasure? Is the best path that which leads to the greatest strength? Are we meant to chase a life free from suffering, or to suffer by our own choice?

To Escape Suffering

In an effort to escape suffering we make an effort to escape life. Suffering is the human experience, it is a hurtful experience. Naturally we wish to avoid what we perceive to be destructive and that which limits our odds of survival. To escape suffering is to try to avoid life’s unavoidable struggles. Suffering is not to be escaped, unless we escape living entirely. Truly, to attempt to escape suffering is an attempt to embrace death.

The unfortunate reality is that this is a solution that is taken far too often. Some suffering is seen as just too much to bear, and no matter what may be on the other side it just is not worth the pain it takes to get there.

The only option to fix this is to embrace our suffering head on.

To Embrace Suffering

To embrace suffering is to embrace life. It is to embrace our own natural capability to grow and strengthen our body and mind. It is how we build resilience. So long as we live, there is no escape to suffering. Our only option is to learn how to take it and make it as manageable as possible.

When faced with suffering, do not run away, but run towards it. Personify it, look it in the eye and tell it it has no bearing over you. You are stronger than it. Remind yourself that in spite of all of your prior suffering you are still here. You have come out on top every other time, so why stop here? What makes this any different? You have become stronger and smarter because of your suffering. That which was once challenging is no longer. This is what makes suffering valuable. There is a greater end to it. You are that greater end.

Closing statement

I am working on a long-form written work on the topic of suffering. Small posts like this one will come about lightly touching on different sections I plan to work on and subtopics I wish to cover. For now, this post is meant to introduce my thoughts in the chapter titled Suffering: To Be Escaped or Embraced?

The chapter itself will be far more detailed. I’m excited to see where this work goes and where I go from here. Thank you for reading. Be well.