Introduction
Any that have been following my on-going series, How The Devil Introduced Me To God, will be aware of the difficulties I had understanding the horrors of this world back in my younger years. I was forced, just like so many of us, to adopt a coping-mechanism that would allow me to come to terms with the seemingly inescapable suffering that afflicts each and every person in one way or another.
There are a number of methods one can make use of in order to deal with the darker side of humanity. Some choose ignorance; it's easy to make it through the day without worrying about the families that are suffering on the Gaza Strip, the thousands of children out there being abused, and the millions of people that are starving on the streets, if you are unwilling to spare them a thought or even accept the existence of their pain.
This is an effective coping mechanism-- for oneself. But, for those out there in need of help, it is certainly not. How can we, as people, help our fellow brothers and sisters that are in desperate need of our assistance, if we remain willfully ignorant to their plight, all so that we might sleep better at night? The answer is; we cannot.
This is why I believe it is imperative that we adopt a means of coping with suffering, that allows room for the recognition of its existence. My hopes are that this message can reach some of those who have not yet found a way to subsist amidst a world of perpetual pain, and that it might serve to present a new ideology to those who have had enough of conscious unawareness.
Why There Is So Much Suffering
I do not ascribe myself to any particular doctrine of faith. It is my belief, that the Bible, the Quran, the Torah and every other religious scripture, are simply some of the earliest and best examples of systems of control. In spite of this, I feel that there are lessons to be learned from these writings, and that there is a principal factor in each of these scriptures that I believe represents the ideology I am going to share with you.
What I speak of, is something that I have come to interpret as an immutable law of the universe. Judaeo-Christian religions refer to it as Good vs Evil. It is embodied within the ancient Chinese philosophy of the Yin and Yang. You will even find it in the field of physics, exemplified through Newton's third law of motion: "For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction."
You need but one word to express what is epitomized by each of these systems: Balance.
Just as there is equal measures of night and day, I have come to observe an equal measure of pleasure and pain, of joy and suffering, and of happiness and misery. We have all heard quotes akin to, "there is no sunshine without rain," and I'm sure that we all understand the message behind them. But, how many of us take that philosophy and incorporate it into our very understanding of the world we reside in?
Imagine if you will, a world with no sadness, hurt or negativity of any type. How long would it be, I wonder, before the colour that surrounds us faded to shades of grey? How many days of this utopian world would we get through before we lost the ability to appreciate the lack of suffering in society? Without the contrast of the undesirable aspects of existence, I fear we would be unable to find value in what we now consider to be the good times.
Life is precious, we can all agree on that. Would we still feel that way however, if there was no such thing as death to bring light to the significance of life? Would we be able to take joy from the miracle of birth if we did not possess the knowledge of loss and bereavement? And would we be able to smile if we could not frown, or laugh if we could not cry? I believe not, and that is why, whether we like it or not, suffering has a place in this world, and it is likely that it always will.
How To Cope
It's easy to grasp this principle. To assimilate it, live it, and retain it however, is far more difficult a task. Before one can adopt a true belief in this universal law of balance, they must first find evidence to support it. This evidence cannot be found through reading articles such as this, nor through the viewing of YouTube videos or any other secondary source of information. There is but one way in which this truth can be realised; through observation.
I know from personal experience, that one can easily become overwhelmed by the shittier side of life. When you are surrounded by a system conceived of avarice, with its unrelenting tentacles visible in every aspect of society, it is very difficult to focus on anything other than the resulting afflictions that have befallen everyone because of that system.
A mindset such as this, one which offers attention only to the negative, can be both psychologically, and emotionally crippling. This perspective can transform even something as simple as a walk down the street into a negative experience. One's attention is stolen by the homeless beggar, crouched in the corner wondering if they will eat today. The scar on a young man's face as he passes by, indicative of a violent attack in his history. The clothing store on the corner, where children in developing countries worked an entire day to make those garments for nothing more than a meal. And of course one could never miss the largest building, towering over the corner of the street; the bank that is responsible for all of our enslavement to little pieces of paper, and the subsequent hardship that befalls society.
It's certainly difficult to find balance when this is all our minds present to us. But, if we are going to observe the whole picture and find the balance we are searching for, we must learn to avert our eyes from these negative examples of life and focus on the positives that also surround us. Difficult though it may be, if we can do this, we will notice the mother pushing her newborn baby down the street in a stroller, with a smile upon both their faces. The couple walking behind them holding hands, clearly in love and laughing away happily. We will notice the pre-wrapped gift protruding from the gentleman ahead's shopping bag, telling us that someone is about to get a surprise that they will enjoy. We may see the teenage girl standing at the side of the street with a rain-proof coat on and a clipboard in her hand, attempting to raise money for a great cause. We will see smiles on too many faces to count if we look hard enough, and wedding rings on fingers symbolizing a person who no longer has to go through the troubles of life alone.
It's not easy, but if you can seek to find the beauty in this life at every chance you get, it will not take long before you come to the realisation that there is just as much of it around us as there is ugliness. When you reach this point, you will have a new mindset. One which is healthier, more inspiring and continuously rewarding. Now, to observe an instance of suffering-- even at an immense level--will only remind you of Newton's third law, "For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction." You will remember this and you will know that, somewhere in the world, either in that moment or one that will come to pass soon, the level of suffering you just witnessed will be answered with an equal measure of joy.
Whilst this perspective can be a very effective tool to keep one's spirits high, and keep bouts of depression at a minimum, we mustn't use it as an excuse to accept the suffering in the world. It is still our duty to do what we can to prevent it at any given chance. It is my belief, that it is through our acts of kindness and compassion that this balance is maintained, and to pass up on an opportunity to help another, is to deny them the joy that would have counteracted the misery they have suffered, or will suffer in future.
A final thought:
If we consider this law of balance applicable to all things in the universe, then it could also be demonstrated through the philosophy of Karma. Your efforts to help others when they are in need, may be what guarantees you a helping hand when the time comes that you, yourself are in need. Know that there is a flip side to that coin however; To pass up an opportunity to help another when it was in your power to do so, could result in a choice being made to deny you the help you need in future.
It was almost a decade ago now that I embraced this philosophy, and the years since then have been so much easier than those that came before. Of course, there will always be struggles in life, but through this state of mind, I have come to find that those struggles are now a rarity. Hopefully, this post will serve to help another achieve the same state of (mostly)stress free existence.
This is a very nice post.
I support this entirely as we can't fully grasp the happening of suffering or evil without observation.
Suffering and evil was worse in the past than it is today as Steven Pinker gave some very good insight in his book 'The better angels of our nature' that this is one of the most peaceful time the world has ever witnessed however we are better much aware of the happens around the world (thanks to the internet) now than ever in the history of human kind which makes evil news spread around faster and wilder than good news or deeds of humans and hence creates a false impression about the current state of the world as against the undocumented and unknown information of suffering or evil that has happened in the past.
In conclusion we can do better as humans to reduce the level of suffering however I feel we are making better progress than the generations before us in reducing the level of suffering and/or evil.
i love how you tied all of this together "In conclusion we can do better as humans to reduce the level of suffering however I feel we are making better progress than the generations before us in reducing the level of suffering and/or evil" We are making better progress, we have more access to coping mechanisms, and therapy. we can get instant information from the tips of our fingers.
Exactly, we could use what is available to us to make great impact regarding the reduction of suffering.
This is one of the very best post I read.
It is so good, I could quote the whole post. People should really read that post.
I've resteemed and will forward it to some people.
Thanks for the share and the awfully kind words. I quite enjoyed writing this one. I tend to when I feel the content I am creating might actually have a real use for some of the readers.
This. This is why I can't see myself giving up on this platform. There truly are wonderful people here. I've recently begun promoting @teamsteem for witness at the bottom of my posts because I read a few of his articles and could see that he was truly genuine. His comment here just confirmed it.
Loved reading this. Loved seeing it get the recognition it deserves.
It truly is a place of balance, this earth. And you are one of the best people on it.
Aw! You are truly a lovely guy, seeing this comment proves to me that I've made an excellent choice in supporting you and getting the word out for you as witness. @son-of-satire is one of the people I've met on this platform who has profoundly affected my life with his words, it makes me really happy to see these words being recognized :)
Our experiences are the most fundamental part of life. Money is just a tool toward those experiences. Money is just a tool to help human achieve what we want and right now money is being used against most of humanity.
I'm saying this because a lot of people on Steem concentrate on money while we should instead concentrate on the more fundamental stuff like the millions of people dying because of economic policies set up by tyrant. I'm saying this because your kindness and the recognition you're giving, @dreemit is what Steem is build upon and money/Steem are just a way to keep scores so to speak.
I'm planning on elaborating on this in my next post. Thank you again for all the recognition you're giving me. It is very touching.
I look forward to that post and couldn't agree more. The people I've met here, the relationships I'm building, no price tag could be put on that. I'm still excited every time I meet a like-minded individual, like you :)
it has been this way for millennia already, why expecting for a change if the premise doesnt change? Money enslaves, we have enough data now :)
I just posted: Bitcoin Rush For Rich Only? 78% of American workers now living paycheck to paycheck!
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yes i agree on your comments..but sometimes we get tired..we need an air..just want to share my poem with you about life and to much work.hope you like it..love to hear your comment also about my poem.. https://steemit.com/poetry/@mrblu/poem-i-m-tired
https://steemit.com/phillipines/@mrblu/do-you-love-me-enough-to-let-me-go-boyfriend-and-girlfriend-breakups-mrblu-poem
Very uplifting! I like this Newton's law and your post. Subscribed!
At the end of the day , I think that all we "lack" is the proper use of our minds. Couldn't agree more on this. An amazing post!
I agree. The power of the mind is often underestimated, in spite of the placebo effect being a perfect demonstration of how powerful it can be.
Wise and eloquent words. You've described perfectly the challenge in finding harmony and grace in this dualistic world. Maybe this is how we are supposed to learn. Is the potential for evil and suffering the price we pay for free will? You've given us a lot to think about. Great post!
I think you may be right there. Perhaps suffering is simply an unavoidable byproduct of choice. That could be another strategy to dealing with the suffering, if you can place faith in the belief that without suffering, we could never be free.
The world is a beautiful mess. Lots of sorrow, lots of joy. You are free to choose how you feel and what you give thought to. I, for one, have chosen to be happy. That choice is available to anyone and does not imply unawareness to the suffering of others. It only implies quiet acceptance and making the choice of being happy and grateful for life, Being in the world but not of it.
Great post @son-of-satire.
I agree. It truly is a choice, but so many fail to realise this. I think in essence it is insecurity that is responsible for this. It is a lack of belief in one's own power to change their outlook and therefore their interpretation of reality. But this is what we should be getting taught in school.
it surely helps alleviate the stress but in the big picture it doesnt matter much. What will do it is to quit giving away our consent to any wanna-be rulers. The biggest enemy of peace and prosperity is inner fear.
For sure. And that includes the implied consent we give by not decrying the many things we ought to.
Yes in every action.there equal and opposite reaction. you have given me another hope to think very deep about this life. Nice one dear...keep it up!
Making people think(and laugh) is what I love to do, so I am very glad to read this comment.
I think we as human beings should stand together inspite of us not being the same, lets try to be understanding just for once and you will see the average person's behaviour will change. All we need to do is view the problem out of their eyes, understand the problem as they would, only then will you realize that your opinion is not always the only opinion that is right. This world has no place for pride it already
https://steemit.com/philosophy/@son-of-satire/the-death-of-conversation
I share this only to demonstrate just how much I agree with you. I wrote about this concept in detail, and it was once my best-performing post... Though now this one is.
Thank you for sharing this aswell, will gladly take a look at it
I think it is the paragraphs near the "truth has many perspectives" image that demonstrate how much I am in agreement with your theory.
Yes, you are right ... Unfortunately these are the reasons why there is too much suffering in the world. We have to change that
yes we have to change that.... by changing ourselves FIRST, that is why the world cannot be improved without starting with one self. I blog a lot about it. People want a better world but they also hold onto preconceived ideas and groupthinks. Reclaiming the mind (thinking for oneself) is the first step
Yes, it is very true. The change must go away from ourselves
In my own opinion, we had a lot of sufferings because we are in this world where devils are more capable of misleading us to where we will suffer and being far from our savior JESUS Christ. But if we only contented of what we have and love each other then we can live a life with happiness.
Lets be honest even if others are not.
Even if others will not.
Even if others cannot.
In the end its between YOU and GOD anyways.
I think if you get enough people to believe in a savior, then they won't try and save themselves or each other. They'll just wait for their Messiah to turn up and do it. But, what if the Messiah isn't coming? How long before people decided to stop waiting?
I'm guessing far too late.
Yes thats true..if only if people have faith like a mustard seed then they will see how our Savior works for us. In this world where greed take place, there is a lot of agony and the people will try to do everything to save what they have and what they want in order to live without sufferings. According to scriptures , Jesus said, "No one knows when i will come to my people, not even the son but only the FATHER"..so we must stand still until the day he will return and judge the living and the dead.
I am suffering currently but this made sense a lot. Thank you for sharing! :)
Sorry to hear that, but the balance is exemplified here by me being in quite a great mood. It may have taken a minor hit to hear that you are suffering, but hopefully you're able to be effected in a small positive way to know that I am doing well?
I got the message or I understood it fully; hence my stating it made a lot of sense. Nothing beats knowing others are well even when we are not. It helps us understand that things will get better or they can get better. All that is according to me though :D Anyway... am glad you are doing well :)
One of the cosmologies I subscribe to and still find viable in this age is what I call Gnostic Non-Duality. It's a cosmology that recognizes the fallibility of, *The Demiurge, whom, in this cosmology, is very much real and is responsible for this flawed universe. We know that an 'OMNI' God could have easily made the world without suffering so we can deduce that the God of this existence is a limited God.
So what of this OMNI God? Well, sirs and madames, its ways are unfathomable but the wisdom of The Aeons work good for all things are contained within The Gnostic Kristos where the fullness and harmony of the opposites are reconciled into non-duality:)))
Okay, I'm down with spiritual atheism, too! Or what is called Pantheism, or a complete naturalist spirituality.
I came across this same information a few days ago, while researching a completely different thing. I believe it was Ayahuasca. Funny how all avenues seem to lead in the same direction in the end..
A powerful fucking quote.
the only way to make sense out of change is to plunge into it move with it and join the dance
this is a great post!!! I took my time to read it and I absolutely loved it!!! Congratulations @son-of-satire !!! I upvoted it for sure!!!!
I want to also add my Opinion and belief as I LOVE the topic you covered:
I am an Orthodox Christian but I totally believe the fact about Balance! There can't be world without sadness, poverty, without abuses, and all the bad and horrible things in the world! As you explained it PERFECTLY if there was not poverty for example, we wouldn't appreciate the money, and the luxurity. Of course if there is no sadness, we would not appreciate when we smile, when we are happy!!!
What is needed here is the balance of "Good & Evil" as you also said! But there are so many ignorant people out there and bad! I don't criticize anyone! I am only saying that we need more positive, good, and kind people! And I don't mean by giving millions to a non-profit organisation! Doing something so small, that is still Kind move, then based on the Snowball effect, your Very Small Kind act, will create a sequence of other small kind acts! And in the end we will have a huge kind change in the world!
You can also Check my blog!!! I post Daily Motivations, Inspirations, and Advices on Life and Business.
I am planning to do SteemIt Full Time, so any Upvote, Resteem, Following it's a huge help for me!!! And I believe you can find great Value and Content in my Blog! :D
So thanks a lot again for the great post!
Looking forward for similar posts!!!
Upvoted & resteemed
Great post ! We all have seen or gone through much in our life and for me ,I try to give what I can and also to try to remain positive & to encourage others as well to do so.We all need to join together because that is how big changes occur
This post is a true marvel. You have a way with words that is a real gift, and it almost makes me a bit jealous :P
I think it comes down to being mindful of all the opportunities we have, every single day, to make a really small effort has a relatively large positive benefit for somebody else. If we all do this, we can go so much further altogether.
I am sure you have many talents that I do not, so the sarcastic jealousy is reciprocated lol.
Also, I am completely with you on your closing paragraph.
These people are suffering. Stand against brutality and raise ur voive
http://steemit.com/steemit/@annaaa/human-rights-violation-in-rohingya-steemitians-i-need-your-attention-201795t17410315z
Absolutelly agree with your statement that 'for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction'. In the end of day it is Our choice to react, as we grow older we learn to cope better with challenges of life, however without loosing the human approach to it...
I think it is about self-responsibility. For example not buying from china because it is cheaper while turning a blind eye to chinese slave wages :)
Good one.... I'm glad I read this. Keep it up.
Thanks for this post....
Feeling happy being here with steemit community which is like a world of knowledge and information .....
Good post @son-of-satire
Excellent words that reflect a reality of which often we want to leave of side, something so real that we refuse to see.
Good post
Great post! I truly believe on those universal laws.
Love your views and way of articulating. Thanks for sharing
Your article was alluding to the principle of polarity. if something exists the exact opposite will exist. It is finding the purpose in the suffering, the consecration of pain that was meant by the ancient Greeks they used the word Dionysus. To know that life is akin to tragedy and then embracing that tragedy wholeheartedly accepting it as a part of existing is sublimation of suffering and fear. Gr8 post.
The photography saw ever thing about the women wants respect ,freedom,security ,etc amazing picture
I also consider it a powerful image, though I feel compelled to point out that it is not one that I took myself.
Great article, reposting
Very well written,it's one of the best!.....:cheers:
I admit this is a very amazing musing, every human even I personally often get the thing you mentioned, the point of saturation makes my activity so tudak berwarana .. thank you for sharing with us about this bagua article my brothers @son-of-satire
System of controls, I like the term :)
I am pretty sure I heard that one elsewhere, but I do consider it to be a decent one.
It is a decent one :)
I'm very interested in your series. The title is intriguing. The concept of karma is linked to the Biblical term sowing and reaping. Something I agree we all need to be very aware of.
There are four or five parts completed so far. There is a lot more to come, though I am unsure if I will be sharing those parts on Steemit yet.
awesome blog @son-of-satire
Do not make my bunghole angry!... You have any holio?
Nice upvote ata long hy ngat ie ek peng nyo
One of the main points of your post, which is the question whether good can exist without evil, has been on my mind on and off for probably more than a decade. As an atheist, I've often expressed this as the problem of evil, and I was wondering whether God could come up with an excuse. The excuses I imagined contained your own in part. Some of them are defensible, some are not. For instance, even if we accept the idea that there's no good without evil, still a person can ask "why so much evil?" For instance, when you say "Without the contrast of the undesirable aspects of existence, I fear we would be unable to find value in what we now consider to be the good times." A Jew in a concentration camp can still ask why he suffers: his question isn't a condemnation of all suffering, just a particular amount of it. And, still, his suffering could actually have been much worse!
To put it differently, the main question that the atheist asks, and that you asked initially, is: is there suffering that is inexcusable? Is there suffering that brings no benefit at all? If x type of suffering brings x type of benefit, does that mean there's no other way that benefit could be attained, except through that suffering?
What you did was take suffering as a whole, and said it's important. That's like saying bees are important. But if we put millions of bees with you in a room, they'll sting you dead. Again, to put it in philosophical parlance, the question is: is this the best of all possible worlds? Alvin Plantinga, the foremost theological philosopher, says that the Christian has no choice but to believe that's the case. If there exists the possibility of a better world, then God doesn't exist.
Anyway, a lot more could be said. I just think this topic is interesting, and you expressed it through your own thinking, and I thought I'd add some of my own philosophical perspective to it.
This post gave me very good insight of this world. but as you said
" I have come to observe an equal measure of pleasure and pain, of joy and suffering, and of happiness and misery. We have all heard quotes akin to, "there is no sunshine without rain,"
This brings me to the conclusion that ignoring the pain of the people who are suffering is the best option, because eventually the pain and the good times are going to be equal. But that would be so inhuman to do so. (maybe i interpreted your text wrong, correct me if i did )
From reading the above post you seem to be very intelligent person, i would be grateful of you if you should go through my story and my doubts about life and give me some opinion.
here's my story
https://steemit.com/trending/introducingmyself
Hi, the link you provided, may not be your link. Check and see if it works. Thanks!
sorry for the inconvenience. I have fixed it , you can visit now.
very inspirational. I love everyones feedback, it had really opened my eyes on a wider scale.
The last part of Karma really hits home. I personally have made it an effort to on a daily basis work to give back to those in need, no matter how big or small. I'm not talking just holding a door for someone either; that's just common courtesey people! I'm talking about being a good ear for someone who is upset, noticing an ill or weakened neighbor needs a helping hand, give advice based on past experience and knowledge to someone who is now going through the same thing. Seems trivial, I know, but those type of things are not material in nature and in my eyes go a much longer way in life than just giving money or food to someone. I welcome the opportunity daily to do my part to help at least one person and if I can do that, then I hope that:
1- That makes their day
2- They will do something good for another person
3- I can teach or demonstrate to someone that they should always have faith and not to give up- always push forward.
well explained...
An interesting post.
I question one part of the post, in it's reasoning.
Imagine if you will, a world with no sadness, hurt or negativity of any type. How long would it be, I wonder, before the colour that surrounds us faded to shades of grey? How many days of this utopian world would we get through before we lost the ability to appreciate the lack of suffering in society? Without the contrast of the undesirable aspects of existence, I fear we would be unable to find value in what we now consider to be the good times.
(p.s what markdown tool do i use to put your passage 'faded' ?- ty)
Happiness, joy, love, is a state that doesn't need, sadness, negativity, or hate to fulfill,or perpetuate itself.
A state of love needs no reminder of the joy of love, by seeing hate.
Happiness, and laughter every day, is a self fulfilling prophecy.
A world with no sadness, would be a state of bliss.
There is always value in good times, with no need (or desire) of the specter of bad, on the horizon, to make it so...
The value of good times, as a commodity, increases, with more good times.
that's my take on it, anyway
Cheers
PW
I'm afraid I cannot agree with you. Consider this analogy;
If all humans, both male and female, looked exactly the same in appearance, would there need to be a word such as "gorgeous" that speaks to a level of aesthetic superiority? I don't believe there would be a need for one, as it wouldn't be recognizable, and this is how the message I was trying to convey.
You could even look at it a different way in a visual sense. Imagine the word "Happiness" written in perfect white, upon a perfect white background. You wouldn't be able to see it at all. But, start adding in some black to represent suffering on the background, and you will begin to see the lettering that spells out the word happiness.
I understand the message you were trying to convey, it's just that I don't believe you need hate and negativity in the world, to be enjoy the emotional states of being positive and happy.
You don't need to know about arid deserts to appreciate and enjoy, the sweet tasting waters of a fresh mountain spring.....
I don't think this analogy places the right items on the scales of balance, so to speak.
You don't need to know a desert in order to enjoy the taste of water. But, you do need a dry throat and a feeling of thirst in order to know that you need water, let alone to enjoy it.
point taken, I agree.
Ok, does a baby need to be told how to be happy, filled with joy?
I'm not expert, but from what I know, no. It is an innate emotion.
So why would the absence of 'pain', sadness stop that being an emotion it feels?
If a baby didn't know sadness would it still know joy, happiness..?
Ergo, you do not need to comprehend 'the negative', to enjoy the positive.
I hope my clumsy attempts to put my point across are okay -
I don't posses your education in philosophy, I think.
But my points are still valid, as I see.
Cheers
You can experience the beauty life without ever knowing, or encountering, death.....
인생에는 언제나 달고 약처럼 쓰지요. 살아가면서 스트레스를 각자의 방식으로 풀고 각자 인생을 공부합니다. 많은 사람들의 인생에서 가장 중요한것은 무엇일까요? 이글을 읽으면서 생각을 다시하게 됩니다.
The question why there is suffering is also interesting. I believe the answer is freedom. We are free to choose how we want to behave and, well, we like to choose from a place of fear instead of Love. But the main thing is:
We make that choice. Someone said that we prefer familiar suffering over the unknown. I think it was C.G Jung. I believe this is true.
Cycle of life and its suffering everything are result of our past Karma. We Don't need to think about our present suffering. We have to do our working in selfless way without asking for any good result. Good results are always coming in proper time.
such a nice post with powerful message, thanks for sharing.