Suffering

[Vacant]

When do you think we as humans decided that no one, including ourselves, should have to suffer or struggle, even if the suffering or struggling were the only way to change things or would bring about a greater good?

[Ben Burkhill]

When we had to suffer - it sucked so we decided we shouldn't have to suffer - yet embracing suffering as reality frees you from much suffering - we suffer suffering so we are not suffering over much when we necessarily have to suffer.

[Ragi]

I've always thought about this in relation to Buddhist teachings. Why shouldn't suffering be a part of life, especially for the sake of something bigger than yourself.

[Vacant]

I've always thought about this in relation to Buddhist teachings. Why shouldn't suffering be a part of life, especially for the sake of something bigger than yourself.

I completely agree. The question actually came from a conversation my friend and I had about how society would would drift from our monetary society to a technocracy. Most of my arguments involved major material and personal sacrifice to push our society in such a direction and she responded with "Well I don't want to have to go through all the suffering and I'm sure no one else would give up such things either."

The sad thing is: she is probably right.
Is it due to our fear of suffering and pain or an inability to see what the suffering would be worth?

[Ben Burkhill]

What I perceive will happen is it will become too painful to remain a monetary system and then it will be a case of the technocracy being the easier choice - change is painful in the short term but not changing is worse in the long term, change is inevitable and we must conform or die - the day will come when the choice will be made to change systems and it will be damn tough but better that going down with the death ship of consumerism.

People move to action when they are too uncomfortable in the status quo - look to history to see this in action time and time again.

[Keter]

It's human nature to avoid suffering a. We will always choose the maximum amount of pleasure for the least amount of pain, theres nothing we can do about that. The thing to do is paint a picture of just how much more pleasure we could have in the future with a changed society.
People will go through any amount of suffering if it is outweighed by the expected pleasure. The anticipated pleasure only needs to be 1 gramme heavier than the effort of getting it and then we can see the suffering as worth while.

[Ben Burkhill]

Change is suffering for most - they won't risk change unless the possibility of increased ease is more than apparent - it needs to be virtually assured.

[Symptom777]

Suffering is part of the human condition.

[zebadee]

Originally Posted by Symptom777

Suffering is part of the human condition.

you really just framing the question as a statement. Why is the question and 'it just is' cannot be satisfactory as an answer. Suffering as a collective is not a natural condition even though it seems to be normal to us widdle cogs in the machine of commerce. Suffering individually because of a mistake like hitting my thumb instead of the nail IS part of the human condition. The masses suffer collectively while the elite don't 'suffer', individual elites suffer but can afford good pharmacuticals.

[Symptom777]

Sure it is. You could ask when will circles stop being round. But they won't ever stop being round.

[conquistador_]

HUMANS WILL KEEP SUFFERING UNTIL WE REACH A LEVEL OF TECHNOLOGY THAT WILL CHANGE OUR VERY BEING,,,,,,,,,,,

[Ca$hback]

Suffering provides contrast to help keep things in perspective.

[Ben Burkhill]

Suffering is the father of invention.

[Symptom777]

suffering drives evolution

[Keter]

It's the old stick and carrot thing, If we can't see the goal infront of us and aim for it with our own efforts and the Creators help then the only way we're going to get there is from recieving beatings from behind pushing us towards the goal.
We're all going to end up at the goal anyway, nature is driving us there, it's just up to us wether we use our freedom of choice and choose the path of peace or we dont use our freedom of choice and leave it to the path of suffering.