LIFE | PROMPTS | PAIN | SUFFERING | READ OR DIE
Suffering vs. Pain
Is there a distinction?
This fabulous prompt Deep Thought December Prompts (Day 6) is from Ruby Noir at Read or Die.
Is suffering a necessary part of the human condition? What would a person who has never known suffering be like? Suffering can be defined differently by each person — but I don’t know anyone who would say they’d never suffered. It may be an inevitability — but is it a necessity?
How would it change your life if it did not exist? If you couldn’t feel pain? What if you couldn’t feel physical pain? Would that make you happy or nervous? Why? Which would you prefer — to never feel emotional pain or never feel physical pain ever again? Why?
A special note: I love these prompts.
I don’t believe that suffering is necessary, and I also don’t believe that it is inevitable. However, I do believe that every person on this planet has experienced pain, but not suffering. There is an important distinction. Perhaps it is subjective, but it’s there.
I also don’t know anyone who would say that they’ve never suffered. But they do exist. Many people have wonderful childhoods, free of suffering.
Again, we all experience pain in some way though. It could be as seemingly innocuous as getting lost in the grocery store as a kid. But to that person, it is the worst thing that has ever happened. Just because I’ve experienced more hardships than getting lost, it doesn’t mean that person hasn’t felt it just as strongly as I have.
I’m not sure what kind of person I’d be if I’d never experienced suffering. I like who I am as a person. I would change many things about my circumstances if I could, but not my core being.
So, would I knowingly change the suffering? No. But, if there was a time machine and I was shoved in it, and all of the suffering was taken away… Well, I’d never know any different, would I?
If I had the option between never experiencing physical or emotional pain, I’d choose neither. Both are necessary. And as much chronic pain as I am in, I’d never want to take away any chance of pain ever. It’s our bodies way of telling us that something is wrong. It’s pretty important.
And emotional pain is just as important. I believe that we have to experience loss in our lives. Everything dies, and it’s healthy to work our way up to that inevitability.
That said, if I was forced to choose, I’d choose physical. Mostly because having fibromyalgia and chronic migraines, among other things, really is a pain in the ass.
Thank you for reading my story. I’d love to hear your responses.
You can check out some more of my writing and follow me here. (She, Her) I am a writer, an artist and a freelance editor. I edit all genres, and I specialize in Romance. I write a little bit of everything, whatever is on my mind at the moment. Get an email when I publish a new story. And if you could buy me an iced latte it would be greatly appreciated.
