Does suffering increase ones tolerance to suffering

[Spiderman]

I prayed a prayer to God last spring that he send me as much suffering as is good for me. Be careful when you ask for something like that. Shortly after, I had a near death experience, became handicapped, the worse suffering of my life by far, and almost three months in the hospital.

However, time is flying and we all suffer, die, get old, fall apart. Getting old will bring much humiliation, pain, sorrow, frustration, sickness, disabilities, loss of loved ones, and trials. I'm thinking I want to increase my tolerance to suffering now, so that when I get old, fall apart, and die, it will be more bearable. The main way I can see that tolerance to suffering can increase is by suffering.

So, when suffering, rather than want it to go away, im changing my attitude about it. Be happy that the suffering is present because my tolerance to it will grow. Also, as I've mentioned before, suffering makes me more humble, charitable, wise, strong, and considerate of others.

So, bring it on suffering! You are my teacher. You put me through boot camp. By making me stronger and wiser, you open up new doors, new opportunities. Because of you I had more empathy and could better reach out and help others and understand what they're going through. I don't like you, I wish you would go away, but I love you for helping me on my journey and making me more humble and charitable. May I always accept and embrace the cross. The cross is the tree of life!

 

[Twilight Hue]

That's actually a very good question.

My approach to suffering isn't always at attempts to normalize it, but also see it for what it is, and understand that it's perfectly normal to react to suffering as anyone would expect under those type of circumstances. Once episodes of suffering pass, it's prudent to notice a form of suffering continues in anticipation of the next time it occurs by which worries fears and anxieties dominate between episodes of suffering, leading to a loss of quality of life when it doesn't have to always be that way by the simple act of letting go and allowing suffering to come and go on its own accord and enjoying those times when suffering isn't there.

 

[sun rise]

I can't answer yes or no because to me it's maybe and sometimes depending on the individual and the nature of the suffering.

 

[David1967]

Depends on what kind of suffering I guess. Physical suffering is different than emotional suffering. I think if it doesn't break a person then said person can come out stronger after it's overcome.

 

[Laika]

Voted "Yes", but its not a recommendation to go seek out suffering. I'm not endorsing masochism.

A certain level of suffering (in my case depression) can put things into perspective and makes dealing with suffering easier. However, I don't think that applies to broken bones, getting beating up, stabbed or anything like that. Society doesn't offer much guidance on how to deal with suffering (or death for that matter) and it is possible to learn from experience. The tolerance for suffering can increase only in so far as we overcome the fear of suffering, but the pain of suffering itself remains quite real and painful. A "little" suffering generally makes you respect the "big" suffering and want to get the heck away from it, but you can meet many of the stupid, irritating stuff we go through in our everyday lives with more perspective.

 

[bobhikes]

Yes it does increase your tolerance to suffering but it also increases your intolerance to others suffering.

 

[SabahTheLoner]

I think it depends on wh at type of suffering and how it hurts you.

Some types of suffering can hurt you long-term and it's hard to heal. During this time, further suffering can make things worse. Suffering mentally is a good example of this. Those with depression and suicidal tendencies actually hurt their mentality by having recurring thoughts of "being useless" and "wanting it over with". It creates a snowball of gross emotions and damaged mental health the more suffering a person has to go through. I had suffered from suicidal tendencies but since we moved and my lifestyle has changed, I haven't been showing any signs of wanting to harm myself. I don't want to say "used to be" suicidal though because I know that my mentality can change depending on what situation I'm in, and I might not have control over it.

Other types of suffering can make you train yourself to not notice the suffering as much. You could physically train your body to ignore blunt force injuries, for example. But just because you can ignore the pain doesn't mean nothing is being harmed.

I would deal with suffering as a part of life that we run into often without a desire to. We should not seek suffering but accept the suffering that comes to us as something to overcome.

 

[Nakosis]

I view suffering as the catalyst of compassion. It allows us to have knowledge of the plight of our fellow man and thereby be emphatic.

I also see personal suffering as a challenge to overcome, and yes, in overcoming become stronger.

However suffering can also at times be excessive and debilitating. I suppose it is necessary for me to see suffering as a challenge to overcome, otherwise it can easily destroy you.

I trust that life will only throw at me challenges that I am capable of overcoming because to think otherwise means to give up.

It's worked out so far and, crossing my fingers, I hope will continue to do so.

 

[chickenranch]

I think so. It increases the number and difficulty of things about which you can tell yourself "This, too, shall pass."

 

[MonkeyFire]

Suffering is the devil.

 

[Saffer]

It might.

The book of Job is an intrigueing example of suffering because Job lost much of what he had/loved in [supposedly] a fairly short timespan. Now make of that what you will, but considering that one would experience suffering much more incremental in modern Western Civilization in comparison to something like Job’s world or Plague-ridden Medieval Europe (where whole families were decimated), one might have to consider what happens if there’s no recovery after a great deal of pain and suffering has been dealt.

According to his book, Job got compensated for his losses along with a very obscure explanation. Much of Europe also experienced some positive socio-economic changes after the Black Death. But I've heard of people who just couldn't get back on track after disaster struck. There's a lot of uncertainty embedded in that question.

 

[VioletVortex]

Yes, both physically and mentally. Extreme shock can have an inverse effect of creating an increased vulnerability to suffering, which can be permanent if not handled correctly.

 

[idav]

THE THIRD NOBLE TRUTH
Cessation of suffering.

 

[Jesuslightoftheworld]

I believe that suffering is a part of human experience. A lot of the time it is caused by our bad choices(sins). But suffering is necessary for growth. We learn from our suffering. The problem is whether we choose to use it for positive change or use it to hate and to resent. I thank God for my suffering because that is when God uses it for good and makes me who I am.

 

[chickenranch]

I agree we can grow after suffering, but I absolutely refuse to accept culpability for **** I've had to deal with, through no action of my own, and then further re-frame it as something I should be thankful for as a gift. What an asshat a deity is if that's the case! Not gonna hand out thanks for that crap.

Whatever helps people deal with stuff is what they have to do, though, so as long as you can end up on the OK end of things, I guess it works. But I don't think you should blame yourself for everything you have to survive.

 

[Jesster]

Sometimes, but sometimes not. I have PTSD from my previous suffering. Now I'm very intolerant to any level of related suffering.

 

[gnomon]

I prayed a prayer to God last spring that he send me as much suffering as is good for me. Be careful when you ask for something like that. Shortly after, I had a near death experience, became handicapped, the worse suffering of my life by far, and almost three months in the hospital.

However, time is flying and we all suffer, die, get old, fall apart. Getting old will bring much humiliation, pain, sorrow, frustration, sickness, disabilities, loss of loved ones, and trials. I'm thinking I want to increase my tolerance to suffering now, so that when I get old, fall apart, and die, it will be more bearable. The main way I can see that tolerance to suffering can increase is by suffering.

So, when suffering, rather than want it to go away, im changing my attitude about it. Be happy that the suffering is present because my tolerance to it will grow. Also, as I've mentioned before, suffering makes me more humble, charitable, wise, strong, and considerate of others.

So, bring it on suffering! You are my teacher. You put me through boot camp. By making me stronger and wiser, you open up new doors, new opportunities. Because of you I had more empathy and could better reach out and help others and understand what they're going through. I don't like you, I wish you would go away, but I love you for helping me on my journey and making me more humble and charitable. May I always accept and embrace the cross. The cross is the tree of life!

No.

I vote....emphatically......no.

 

[lewisnotmiller]

I think so. It increases the number and difficulty of things about which you can tell yourself "This, too, shall pass."

Not if the suffering is without respite.

 

[chickenranch]

Not if the suffering is without respite.

Well, that's true.