👋 Hey phi-lazy-phers
Suffering is a constant and natural part of life. I realize that’s a pessimistic way to begin an email, but I think it’s important to admit so we can expect it and, ultimately, learn to deal with it properly. Also, if we understand this fact, we are then forced to consider that every single person we interact with is dealing with their own form of suffering. Knowing this, let’s remember to treat both ourselves and others with kindness so as not to add unnecessary harm to a world that experiences enough suffering on its own.
Much like what we discussed last week with change, suffering can mean different things to different people and, many times, we don’t have control over how or when it enters our lives. To see how we can deal with suffering when it arises, let’s see what some of our favorite minds have said about this topic.
Seneca
To bear misfortunes with a tranquil mind robs hardship of its strength and weight.
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Marcus Aurelius
The wise individual accepts their pain, endures it, but does not add to it.
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Friedrich Nietzsche
To live is to suffer, to survive is to find some meaning in the suffering.
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Seneca
We suffer more often in imagination than in reality.
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Melanie Joy
To identify with others is to see something of yourself in them and to see something of them in yourself—even if the only thing you identify with is the desire to be free from suffering.
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Viktor Frankl
If there is meaning in life at all, then there must be meaning in suffering.
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David Goggins
Suffering is a test. That’s all it is. Suffering is the true test of life.
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Oscar Wilde
To become a spectator of one's own life is to escape the suffering of life.
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Natsume Sōseki
It is painfully easy to define human beings. They are beings who, for no good reason at all, create their own unnecessary suffering.
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Epictetus
Suffering arises from trying to control what is uncontrollable. Or from neglecting what is within our power.
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Michel de Montaigne
He who fears he shall suffer, already suffers what he fears.
Seneca’s idea that we suffer more often in imagination than in reality is one that hits home for me. But I want to make sure we don’t skip over the “more often” part of that quote. Its obvious reality has more than its fair share of suffering and folks are forced to deal with that truth every day. We see it on display in the U.S. right now as communities are experiencing real pain because of systemic racism, hateful legislation, and other tragedies.
On top of that, you may be experiencing personal suffering which feels very real due to losing a loved one, a relationship ending, chronic pain, a stressful job, or countless other reasons. Sit with your suffering, examine it for what it is, and give yourself the space to continue living with it in a way that works for you.
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Thanks for reading this issue—it’s my hope Lazy Philosophy will provide you with real value each week. If you have topics you’d like to see covered in future issues, reply to this post or DM me on Twitter.
✌️Until next week, happy philosophizing.
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