Suffering is linked to happiness. Some people seem to think that you have to suffer to discover happiness. And they may not be wrong. But how much do you have to suffer?
What is suffering?
Suffering is caused by pain or distress. It is an unpleasant emotion, usually associated with the experience or expectation of harm or threat.
So it is clearly a negative emotion. But negative emotions have their place. They tell us that something we hold dear could be, or is, in danger. It could be our health, our self-esteem, a relationship or our freedom.
But do we really need to suffer? Perhaps. But I don’t think we have to suffer that much. I think we should decide if what is threatened is really important and then do something about it. Further, I even believe that sometimes we need to lean into the pain or suffering in order to get to the root of the problem and solve it. I certainly do not believe that we should suffer in silence or accept our victimhood.
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Look at the Podcast overview page if you haven’t listened to my other episodes. I have covered general topics like what happiness is and how gratitude, positive thinking, being social and healthy habits support happiness. I’m talking about topics like global warming, play and negativity bias. And most importantly, I have answered the question of who is responsible for your happiness and what to do about it.
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