I feel that there is value in suffering, the reason is that I feel that suffering brings people together. Sometimes suffering brings estranged families together. Also a patient might be able to have a miracle recovery.
I feel like those who suffer and survive can gain a great deal from their suffering. They can gain a greater appreciation of life and have their eyes opened to many things they did not see before. I think it is also possible that the person could grow depressed from their suffering and maybe not understand why they survived. For those who only suffer before their death, I would like to think they are suffering for a reason. That maybe their suffering is a penance for their sins or a type of purgatory on earth. Yet again we are rational creatures and maybe that is only me trying to rationalize the pain and suffering of others. But I do believe that everything happens for a reason.
I would say that I agree with Quentin and Lydia, except that I feel like there is not true value in suffering if the person dies right after it. If the person is going to suffer then die right away, I feel like the suffering was unnecessary and if they wanted to 'opt out' of it and choose a different path out of it then they should have that choice. I do agree though that a lot can be learned from it if the person pulls through and is healthy afterwards.
I think that there is a lot to learn from suffering. It does bring families together in the worst of times, such as Quentin said, but I also agree with Lydia in her saying that those who have endured much suffering may fall into a deep depression because they may wonder, "why am I alive? why am I still here?" I think we learn a lot from a person's suffering, as morbid as it sounds, I believe it stirs up the questions of what would you want done if were you in their shoes, what would you want your family to do?
I know, that from my own personal experiences at the monastery I work at, I have taken care of several sisters over the years that have endured much suffering before dying a seemingly peaceful death. We recently lost a sister who had a terrible case of Alzheimer's. The disease had progressed quickly and it wasn't long before she had to be kept in a wheelchair because she became a fall risk, and not long after that, she had to be kept in a geriatric chair and kept with the nurse or the nurse assistant at all times. We watched her go from knowing who we were and knowing that we were caring for her, to seeing her not know who we were. Not knowing how to feed herself, and be able to understand that the discomfort that she felt in her lower abdomen was because she needed to use the bathroom. By the grace of God, she died peacefully, but her suffering has had a strong impact on me.
I think suffering is valuable because it is a very real part of life. Suffering is with us throughout each of our lives, even if we aren't actively experiencing it; it is in the back of our minds as a mechanism to keep us from doing things that might hurt us, for example ending a relationship that left you hurt and suffering, you learn that you don't want to do that again, so you try to avoid it. We remember the pain and suffering we've felt and it sticks with us. Like Quentin said, it can bring families together, and that definitely has value. In addition, the stregth of going through that suffering is very powerful and reveals great will of a person's soul. Some can even take it on a Christian spin and say yes suffering has value because Jesus suffered on the cross... I think suffering is valuable in every life, because everyone feels it, which links us to everyone, a very valuable thing in human nature.
I think there is a value in suffering, especially if you get through the suffering. If a person struggles with suffering and survives it, then it is a big deal and worth while. If a person does not live through suffering, the value is at least they tried. The person may have tried to survive suffering for his or her family or even for him/herself. Suffering can bring a family together (just as Quentin said). If an individual suffers, their family and friends suffer as well (just not as hard). I would also have to agree with Lydia when she mentioned how suffering allows you to have more appreciation for life. I believe everything happens for a reason, even though that reason may be unknown. If we suffer from something and die from it or even live through it, there is a reason.
I believe that there is value in suffering. I feel that suffering can allow us to appreciate the good in life. Without suffering, I believe that we would not recognize the good things in life that we have and that we would take them for granted. We all, usually, become very sad when a person who was close to us dies. Although this event is sad and we may suffer through the grieving process, it makes us realize how short life really is and how grateful we should be that we still get to experience it since the person who just died no longer gets to. Also, if a person is suffering through an illness they may begin to realize the things in their life that they wish they could change or would’ve done differently (relating back to the article in an older post about the top five regrets of the dying). If this person is able to recover from their illness and have this new found insight into their life they can change the things they regretted and live their life with more meaning.
Suffering allows us to realize what we have and it is only through misfortune that I think we can really appreciate fortune. Happiness is adaptive -- the effect of what makes us happy generally wear off after time and our level of contentedness ultimately reaches an equilibrium no matter what happens (e.g. win the lottery). Therefore, this leads me to the maybe controversial comment that without any suffering in life, a person could ever really truly be happy. A simple glass of water is menial and insignificant to a person that always has access to it, but to a dehydrated individual stranded in the desert, that glass of water is worth more than gold. Likewise, a person perpetually given good news and exposed to a lack of suffering would lose touch with the value of what he or she has. With some misfortune though, that person might be able to appreciate what they have so much more.
In other words, then, I think that suffering is an important aspect of the human experience, without which life would not be nearly as meaningful. The Matrix makes this same point during the scene when one of the "Agents" explained that so many people died when the machines created a simulated world devoid of any misfortune. We need to be reminded of what we have (through suffering) so that we can appreciate and enjoy it much more (real happiness).
Yes I believe there is value in suffering. Through physical, mental and emotional suffering we come to appreciate good health and also the good things in life. Though they are distinct from each other, I think the value of suffering can be personal and impersonal. Impersonal referring to watching another person suffer. The value received from personal suffering can be to a greater degree but there is also value in watching others suffer. One story that comes to my mind is a tale about Siddhartha Gautama Buddha. How he had never experienced any sort of suffering and led a very sheltered life. Then he witnessed others suffering outside the walls of his home and he learned something from them. He was inspired to become enlightened after he witnessed others suffering. I believe without suffering in the world, humans would not be capable to experience life for what it is worth. But the value of suffering must be weighted against the situation. For example if a 94 year old is suffering from a debilitating disease, there is not that much value in his or her suffering. Odds are he or she has already experienced life for what it is worth and his or her suffering only adds value to the people witnessing their suffering.
I would have to agree with the majority here, that there is a value to suffering. Especially in today's world, people too often forget all that they have been blessed with. I saw a picture on Facebook this morning, it was a picture showing the difference between 1st world and 3rd world countries. The caption for the little white girl read "has an iphone, mac, xbox, ps3, wii, internet, pocket money more than most families budget... not happy at all". The caption for the little African boy read "uses a rock as a camera... the happiest kid in the world". (http://funnyasduck.net/post/11590)
This picture can really relate to this topic. It is impossible to realize the good things in life, without knowledge of the bad things. Suffering is an important part of human nature. Through suffering, we are strengthened as individuals. Suffering allows us to grow as a human being. Not only does suffering make us stronger, but it also changes our world view. Suffering is an experience that we must all go through during our lives, if we ever hope to appreciate it. The value in suffering is that is allows us to appreciate the joy in life.
There are many types of suffering and I believe that the people that have dealt with it first hand, and survived, have a new outlook on life. Suffering can do a great deal of things to someone and one never knows their true strength until they have faced suffering head on. It is amazing how people can handle suffering of all kinds and how they can jump back from it, grow stronger, or be brought down by it. If you can make it through some types of suffering, one can grow stronger as a person and learn from it.
I feel that suffering leaves this mark on people that is indescribable ( I do not know if I would say suffering has a value). I agree with Michael S. that suffering is needed to appreciate the things we have. At the same time there are countless numbers of people who continue to suffer and I agree with Lydia that people can grow depressed if they do not see the benefits of their suffering. It is difficult to say if suffering has a value but I do believe, unfortunately, that suffering brings people together and often times can develop into better situations for other people in the future.
I believe that suffering has great value. Having mental, physical, emotional suffering makes an individual stronger through life. I agree that it's necessary so we appreciate the little things in life, and makes us appreciate others who deal with a lot more suffering than we do. I agree with Amber about it brings people together and can develop into better situations for others in the future. In my experience, I've seen death many times within my family. I think with those experiences along with this course that I've taken, it will be still hard to handle, but it has eased a little more because I've come to understand more about death and talked about it enough that it will help if I come across it again.
I truly believe that there is great value in suffering. It can really cause a positive impact on an individual and their life as well as a negative one. I think it's valuable to go through these situations in life sometimes. It can really give a person a perspective on life.
Suffering is necessary in life in my opinion because if you live a life without suffering, you aren't really living and it is unrealistic. I hope that at the end of my life I have to suffer a little to understand what is really going on and make everything feel real in my situation. Nobody wants to die or suffer but those are the ways we feel like humans. I know we're not talking about heart break or anything like that but still I think that you should be building a life that makes you happy and when the people you surround yourself with that you love see you suffering, it is going to suck big time letting go of them and then they have to suffer letting go of someone they held close to their hearts.
I feel that there is value in suffering, the reason is that I feel that suffering brings people together. Sometimes suffering brings estranged families together. Also a patient might be able to have a miracle recovery.
ReplyDeleteI feel like those who suffer and survive can gain a great deal from their suffering. They can gain a greater appreciation of life and have their eyes opened to many things they did not see before. I think it is also possible that the person could grow depressed from their suffering and maybe not understand why they survived. For those who only suffer before their death, I would like to think they are suffering for a reason. That maybe their suffering is a penance for their sins or a type of purgatory on earth. Yet again we are rational creatures and maybe that is only me trying to rationalize the pain and suffering of others. But I do believe that everything happens for a reason.
ReplyDeleteI would say that I agree with Quentin and Lydia, except that I feel like there is not true value in suffering if the person dies right after it. If the person is going to suffer then die right away, I feel like the suffering was unnecessary and if they wanted to 'opt out' of it and choose a different path out of it then they should have that choice. I do agree though that a lot can be learned from it if the person pulls through and is healthy afterwards.
ReplyDeleteI think that there is a lot to learn from suffering. It does bring families together in the worst of times, such as Quentin said, but I also agree with Lydia in her saying that those who have endured much suffering may fall into a deep depression because they may wonder, "why am I alive? why am I still here?" I think we learn a lot from a person's suffering, as morbid as it sounds, I believe it stirs up the questions of what would you want done if were you in their shoes, what would you want your family to do?
ReplyDeleteI know, that from my own personal experiences at the monastery I work at, I have taken care of several sisters over the years that have endured much suffering before dying a seemingly peaceful death. We recently lost a sister who had a terrible case of Alzheimer's. The disease had progressed quickly and it wasn't long before she had to be kept in a wheelchair because she became a fall risk, and not long after that, she had to be kept in a geriatric chair and kept with the nurse or the nurse assistant at all times. We watched her go from knowing who we were and knowing that we were caring for her, to seeing her not know who we were. Not knowing how to feed herself, and be able to understand that the discomfort that she felt in her lower abdomen was because she needed to use the bathroom. By the grace of God, she died peacefully, but her suffering has had a strong impact on me.
I think suffering is valuable because it is a very real part of life. Suffering is with us throughout each of our lives, even if we aren't actively experiencing it; it is in the back of our minds as a mechanism to keep us from doing things that might hurt us, for example ending a relationship that left you hurt and suffering, you learn that you don't want to do that again, so you try to avoid it. We remember the pain and suffering we've felt and it sticks with us. Like Quentin said, it can bring families together, and that definitely has value. In addition, the stregth of going through that suffering is very powerful and reveals great will of a person's soul. Some can even take it on a Christian spin and say yes suffering has value because Jesus suffered on the cross... I think suffering is valuable in every life, because everyone feels it, which links us to everyone, a very valuable thing in human nature.
ReplyDeleteI think there is a value in suffering, especially if you get through the suffering. If a person struggles with suffering and survives it, then it is a big deal and worth while. If a person does not live through suffering, the value is at least they tried. The person may have tried to survive suffering for his or her family or even for him/herself. Suffering can bring a family together (just as Quentin said). If an individual suffers, their family and friends suffer as well (just not as hard). I would also have to agree with Lydia when she mentioned how suffering allows you to have more appreciation for life. I believe everything happens for a reason, even though that reason may be unknown. If we suffer from something and die from it or even live through it, there is a reason.
ReplyDeleteI believe that there is value in suffering. I feel that suffering can allow us to appreciate the good in life. Without suffering, I believe that we would not recognize the good things in life that we have and that we would take them for granted. We all, usually, become very sad when a person who was close to us dies. Although this event is sad and we may suffer through the grieving process, it makes us realize how short life really is and how grateful we should be that we still get to experience it since the person who just died no longer gets to. Also, if a person is suffering through an illness they may begin to realize the things in their life that they wish they could change or would’ve done differently (relating back to the article in an older post about the top five regrets of the dying). If this person is able to recover from their illness and have this new found insight into their life they can change the things they regretted and live their life with more meaning.
ReplyDeleteSuffering allows us to realize what we have and it is only through misfortune that I think we can really appreciate fortune. Happiness is adaptive -- the effect of what makes us happy generally wear off after time and our level of contentedness ultimately reaches an equilibrium no matter what happens (e.g. win the lottery). Therefore, this leads me to the maybe controversial comment that without any suffering in life, a person could ever really truly be happy. A simple glass of water is menial and insignificant to a person that always has access to it, but to a dehydrated individual stranded in the desert, that glass of water is worth more than gold. Likewise, a person perpetually given good news and exposed to a lack of suffering would lose touch with the value of what he or she has. With some misfortune though, that person might be able to appreciate what they have so much more.
ReplyDeleteIn other words, then, I think that suffering is an important aspect of the human experience, without which life would not be nearly as meaningful. The Matrix makes this same point during the scene when one of the "Agents" explained that so many people died when the machines created a simulated world devoid of any misfortune. We need to be reminded of what we have (through suffering) so that we can appreciate and enjoy it much more (real happiness).
Yes I believe there is value in suffering. Through physical, mental and emotional suffering we come to appreciate good health and also the good things in life.
ReplyDeleteThough they are distinct from each other, I think the value of suffering can be personal and impersonal. Impersonal referring to watching another person suffer. The value received from personal suffering can be to a greater degree but there is also value in watching others suffer.
One story that comes to my mind is a tale about Siddhartha Gautama Buddha. How he had never experienced any sort of suffering and led a very sheltered life. Then he witnessed others suffering outside the walls of his home and he learned something from them. He was inspired to become enlightened after he witnessed others suffering.
I believe without suffering in the world, humans would not be capable to experience life for what it is worth. But the value of suffering must be weighted against the situation. For example if a 94 year old is suffering from a debilitating disease, there is not that much value in his or her suffering. Odds are he or she has already experienced life for what it is worth and his or her suffering only adds value to the people witnessing their suffering.
I would have to agree with the majority here, that there is a value to suffering. Especially in today's world, people too often forget all that they have been blessed with. I saw a picture on Facebook this morning, it was a picture showing the difference between 1st world and 3rd world countries. The caption for the little white girl read "has an iphone, mac, xbox, ps3, wii, internet, pocket money more than most families budget... not happy at all". The caption for the little African boy read "uses a rock as a camera... the happiest kid in the world". (http://funnyasduck.net/post/11590)
ReplyDeleteThis picture can really relate to this topic. It is impossible to realize the good things in life, without knowledge of the bad things. Suffering is an important part of human nature. Through suffering, we are strengthened as individuals. Suffering allows us to grow as a human being. Not only does suffering make us stronger, but it also changes our world view. Suffering is an experience that we must all go through during our lives, if we ever hope to appreciate it. The value in suffering is that is allows us to appreciate the joy in life.
There are many types of suffering and I believe that the people that have dealt with it first hand, and survived, have a new outlook on life. Suffering can do a great deal of things to someone and one never knows their true strength until they have faced suffering head on. It is amazing how people can handle suffering of all kinds and how they can jump back from it, grow stronger, or be brought down by it. If you can make it through some types of suffering, one can grow stronger as a person and learn from it.
ReplyDeleteI feel that suffering leaves this mark on people that is indescribable ( I do not know if I would say suffering has a value). I agree with Michael S. that suffering is needed to appreciate the things we have. At the same time there are countless numbers of people who continue to suffer and I agree with Lydia that people can grow depressed if they do not see the benefits of their suffering. It is difficult to say if suffering has a value but I do believe, unfortunately, that suffering brings people together and often times can develop into better situations for other people in the future.
ReplyDeleteI believe that suffering has great value. Having mental, physical, emotional suffering makes an individual stronger through life. I agree that it's necessary so we appreciate the little things in life, and makes us appreciate others who deal with a lot more suffering than we do. I agree with Amber about it brings people together and can develop into better situations for others in the future. In my experience, I've seen death many times within my family. I think with those experiences along with this course that I've taken, it will be still hard to handle, but it has eased a little more because I've come to understand more about death and talked about it enough that it will help if I come across it again.
ReplyDeleteI truly believe that there is great value in suffering. It can really cause a positive impact on an individual and their life as well as a negative one. I think it's valuable to go through these situations in life sometimes. It can really give a person a perspective on life.
ReplyDeleteSuffering is necessary in life in my opinion because if you live a life without suffering, you aren't really living and it is unrealistic. I hope that at the end of my life I have to suffer a little to understand what is really going on and make everything feel real in my situation. Nobody wants to die or suffer but those are the ways we feel like humans. I know we're not talking about heart break or anything like that but still I think that you should be building a life that makes you happy and when the people you surround yourself with that you love see you suffering, it is going to suck big time letting go of them and then they have to suffer letting go of someone they held close to their hearts.
ReplyDelete