Suffering and the human lot

This section is naturally enough about suffering. In many aspects it is the opposite of happiness, so discussions around one frequently involve the other.

 

Suffering can take several forms. Suffering as in persecution, suffering as in mental anguish, suffering from lack of necessary resources and more.

“Necessity is the mother of invention.” Sometimes it is necessary to suffer to make advances. Here is a research article that says just that. The article is a little long-winded, but it concludes that we absorb more cognitively if there is necessity – thus making the old saying true.

 

The Science of Happiness and Potential – Part 1. This part is repeated along with the other two parts in the Happiness section:

 

This video represents a view by Carl Jung who offered the notion that the development of the individual starts with a crisis. Machiel Klerk gives a Jungian perspective of this crisis and the accompanying suffering:

 

An interesting talk about the role of priests, Buddhism etc. Dr. Robert Johnson contrasts the typical Western person with those of the East. In some aspects however, this is now a false division, because Western culture and attitudes are becoming all pervasive. However, the talk is good to remind us that there is something else that we seek that can alleviate suffering; though today access to this understanding can be found pretty much anywhere, if we but look hard enough: