A short philosophy-of-life and a note to remember, regarding suffering [and human pain]
Immense suffering and pain exist. You should be aware of it. You must be aware of it. But never let it be all you see.
So much of it. so much pain and suffering in this world. You should be aware of it, but not focus solely on it [btw, even if you wanted to — you CAN’T; the human mind cannot truly comprehend mass suffering].
There are a lot of reasons to be pessimistic about humanity and the world we live in, and plenty of reasons to sink yourself into a pit of misery and nihilistic dwelling because of all the pain and suffering people [and other organisms, must I add!] go through, every single moment.
I mean it - truly, just think about it from a god’s-eye view. Consider only the last 100,000 years, and only Homo Sapiens: they [we] experienced and experience so much death and unnecessary pain - every. single. day. From the innocent child who died of thirst in the savanna, to the mother who lost her entire family in front of her eyes, to the millions of Jews in the Holocaust, to the girl who drowned in agony, to the boy who burned to death.
So much of it. It’s everywhere, it’s happening at all times, it’s happening for everyone, with no exception - for some more and for others less, but we all share the experience of suffering. It’s part of the human condition.
You must be aware of it. [Why, you ask? Because this is the most profound and easy-to-perform gratitude technique: as long as I have my senses, a roof over my head, my hands and legs, access to clean water - what honestly do I need more? This baseline is more than enough for a life of human luxuries, considering the entire history of our species].
Some people don’t have the privilege to distract themselves from it, as they experience it firsthand, on a daily basis - be it in the form of a mental disorder, rape in the family, being a hostage, the loss of a loved one, extreme physical pain, or even a small tooth surgery. You will be one of them one day, that’s for sure. But as long as you’re not, just be aware of it and do not engulf yourself in all of it.
If you have the ability to move on, you shall do that. If you can move on, move on.
Why is there so much suffering in the world? A question any rational human being must have asked himself, and couldn’t find a plausible answer to. And all that suffering and pain, always happening in contrast and alongside joy and happiness [happiness for lack of a better word right now].
Always black and white - pain and love, good and evil, darkness and light [blah, a bit cliche, isn’t it?].
Black and white. With a whole lot of gray in between.
Whenever my mind is not at ease because I can’t understand how, or on what, I should focus, I always return to comfort myself with two things: one is a principle from Stoic philosophy, and the other is a legend about two wolves.