How much human suffering is okay?
There all sorts of ways humans can suffer. I'm sure your all familiar with most of the ways of suffering, so there's no point of listing them. The important point to keep in mind is that suffering an inevitable point of life. Everyone suffers at different parts of their life, even the happiest person. My question is, how much suffering do you consider too much for a human being. At what point do you say, "Wow, that man (or woman) has suffered way too much in his (or her) life!". In other words, what's a reasonable amount of suffering?
I personally went through a lot of suffering in my life (I'm not going to go into details). But without knowing what's an acceptable amount of pain, I don't know if what I went through is okay. Should I just accept it for what it is and not worry about it?
What about you? Do you worry that you, or someone you know, have suffered unreasonable amounts of pain? Is it okay that you, or anyone for that matter, suffers the amount they do?
I personally went through a lot of suffering in my life (I'm not going to go into details). But without knowing what's an acceptable amount of pain, I don't know if what I went through is okay. Should I just accept it for what it is and not worry about it?
What about you? Do you worry that you, or someone you know, have suffered unreasonable amounts of pain? Is it okay that you, or anyone for that matter, suffers the amount they do?
Comments (14)
Did the suffering lead to the individual growing a further understanding of life and gave them tools to tackle life in a way that is better than before?
Did the suffering after a certain event stay with the person in such a way that it is crippling them and their thinking?
Did the suffering cause such harm that they can't have a balanced life and all that is left is depression, hopelessness, and longing for life to end?
I think that these questions should be answered to find out if the suffering was enough. Because suffering isn't just part of life, it is essential to be able to reach a balanced point of view. I have never met anyone with a balanced morality, balanced opinions, rational view on hard questions etc. that didn't go through some kind of hard suffering in their life. But I think the key is that the suffering should lead to the person growing and becoming a better person both for others and themselves, if not, if it keeps them down, if it's destructive for their well being or others well being while limiting their ability to grow as individuals beyond that suffering, it is too much.
What is too much and what is not is very much up to each individual. That's why some can walk through fire, destruction, mass deaths, and horrors and still come out as stronger people with a kind soul and feel happiness. While others who experienced just one of their loved ones dying might have crippling traumas for life.
I don't think we can find an objective balance to this, it's a balance in each individuals life. But we could help those who can't find that balance. I'm generally a person who acts on my sufferings like they are valued life lessons like any other. I think that is a healthy way of looking at pain and suffering, as things that teach us something. It's painful but look for each lesson each event gives you and try to use it rather than suppressing it.
This is kind of an oddly worded question...
No unnecessary amount of suffering is okay. Like, you'll survive me kicking you in the shin, and you won't carry any lasting harm from it, but unless I have a good reason, it's still not okay for me to do to you.
But even necessary suffering can be pitied. Like a chemo patient needs to do the chemo to live, but we can still pity the pain she's going through.
And then there is "suffering" which people invent. I think the phrase for it now is "first world problems." Like the other day I overheard a young man literally sobbing because his mother would not buy him the newest Iphone (to top it off, he was holding a rather large and fancy looking phone in his hands as he spoke).
But what do you mean by "too much"? Like too much to keep living? Or too much to...what?
Quoting NKBJ
I mean over the threshold that no human being should ever experience.
It's necessary to take the risk of the paintball caused suffering in order to have the fun of the game itself.
Quoting Purple Pond
No human should ever experience any unnecessary, unwanted suffering...
I still think this is an oddly worded question, and I'm not sure what you're getting at specifically.
Quoting NKBJ I don't know how I could have worded it better. Perhaps I shouldn't have created this thread. Too late. :razz:
My question could be rehashed. How much unwanted suffering should humans endure before we, as a society, do something about it? Is that better?
Well... yeah. But you're asking for our opinions, so.....
Quoting Purple Pond
Yes, that makes more sense to me.
To a certain extent that will depend on the individual's ability to end, change, or cope with their own suffering.
Like laws to protect vulnerable persons, like minors. Laws to stop crime to protect innocent citizens. Universal healthcare.
Essentially, covering your basic human rights.
This would not cover mere inconveniences (like hangnails) or lacking luxuries (like the above-mentioned electronic gadgets).
What doesn't kill you will try again later.
What doesn't kill you will grow stronger and be able to kill you later.
We can't quantify or qualify it. Maybe we could say, "More than the individual can bear is too much." How much is that? Potentially, enormous. Some people can bear an enormous amount of suffering. Some people do not do bear suffering easily -- they are crushed by it. It isn't their fault -- it's just how they are constituted.
I have not suffered as much as some people have. I think I bore up reasonably well, especially to physical pain (injury, infection--definite cause). I haven't faced a potentially fatal injury or illness, yet. I expect to, eventually; might be sooner, might be later.
Suffering, of course, comes in 57 varieties. People with COPD feel like they are suffocating. Well, they are suffocating -- it's not just their imagination. It's not painful, it's terrifying, apparently. Alzheimers patients certain suffer, but their mental resources are so scrambled it is hard to communicate with them. People who have severe mental illness suffer intensely.
There is suffering, and then there is SUFFERING. I have osteoarthritis. Sometimes I have a large quantity of pain, but the quality is tolerable. It's dull aching. I've had very bad toothaches that were not tolerable. A bad toothache is 'loud' and very dense"--so much pain from one very small nerve. (It was a piece of nerve that a root canal had missed. It was really pissed off!).
Just like Heinz!
I think anyone can handle any amount of suffering as long as there is purpose or something to gain from it. For example... Going through pain to finish a long novel. Going through pain to get a business off the ground. Going through pain during your work outs. Going through rejection to build relationships.
It's when people suffer constantly for no reason and there's no hope for a better future is when it becomes unbearable.
I don't know. How about when suicide becomes a good option?
As you said suffering is part of life!
To choose death would mean suffering becomes not just part of life but life itself.
Too much suffering is when, instead of suffering being part of life, life becomes part of suffering and so you choose the other part - death.
I really don't know. :sad: