L10 | SUFFERING

• SUFFERING

  • refers to an experience of unpleasantness, discomfort, and pain.
  • associated with threats to human existence or the lack of pleasure or happiness in life
• TERMS:

  1. WELTSCHMERZ
  2. ANGST
  3. EXISTENTIAL DREAD
  4. ENNUI
• WELTSCHMERZ

  • man’s realization that the world can never live up to the ideal “perfect world” resulting to feeling of sadness or apathy.
• ANGST

  • fear and anxiety.
• EXISTENTIAL DREAD

  • crisis brought about when person begins to question his or her purpose and reason for being.
• ENNUI

  • feeling of weariness and discontent brought about by lack of interest or intense boredom with the world.
• VIEW ON SUFFERING:

  1. Suffering as an undesirable human condition, and that humans naturally seek pleasure and avoid pain.
  2. Suffering is necessary to human existence.

  • essential because it defines human existence. 
  • Without it, man is unable to grow and improve, and his positive experiences lose meaning and significance.
• PHILOSOPHERS:

  1. ANCIENT GREEK PHILOSOPHERS
  2. BUDDHIST PHILOSOPHY
  3. HINDUISM
• ANCIENT GREEK PHILOSOPHERS

  • suffering can be avoided by seeking pleasurable things or activities or through the exercise of self control
• HINDUISM

  • suffering is closely tied to spiritual progress and that all suffering ends when a person attains enlightenment.
• CONTEMPORARY PHILOSOPHERS

  1. ARTHUR SCHOPENHAUER
  2. FRIEDRICH NIETZSCHE
  3. GEORGE SEFLER
• ARTHUR SCHOPENHAUER

  • Human existence is characterized by suffering caused by man’s inability to meet his unlimited wants and desires.
• FRIEDRICH NIETZSCHE

  • Suffering is inevitable, and that man is meant to suffer. 
  • Suffering as a test of a person’s worth. Man, therefore, should accept and embrace suffering as an important component of life.
• GEORGE SEFLER

  • Considers suffering as one of many interrelated elements that define the meaning of experiences throughout life. 
  • Suffering and happiness go hand-in-hand in defining a person’s view on his life experiences, and a balance between positive and negative experiences will result in a well-adjusted, functional person.
• SPIRITUAL ASPECT

  1. THEOLOGIANS
• THEOLOGIANS

  • Christian theology considers suffering as means to achieve a higher meaning in life.
• ORIGEN

  • considers the world as “a school and hospital for souls” where suffering plays a role in educating and healing a person.
• THEODICY

  • branch of philosophy that reconciles the existence of a benevolent, all-good God with the reality of suffering in the world
• COPING

  • Means a person employs in dealing with difficult life situations and involves a conscious effort to solve personal and interpersonal problems.
  • Entails identifying sources of stress and conflict and devising means to tolerate or minimize their effects.
• WAYS OF COPING

  1. POSITIVE WAY OF COPING
  2. NEGATIVE WAY OF COPING
• POSITIVE WAYS OF COPING

  • Anticipating and preparing for stress 
  • Seeking support from other people 
  • Implementing stress management (physical activity, relaxation, constructive emotional release, humor)
• NEGATIVE WAYS OF COPING

  • Withdrawal 
  • Avoidance 
  • Escapism 
  • Rumination 
  • Isolation 
  • Substance Abuse
  • Aggression 
  • Emotional Eating
• STOICS

  • believe that one must face difficulties in life with fortitude and patience
• FRIEDRICH NIETZSCHE

  • When faced with difficulties, a person should not blame other people or look at external factors to explain his or her suffering. Rather, a person should face his or her suffering and take responsibility for it.
• UTILITARIAN PHILOSOPHERS

  • In order to alleviate suffering in the world, people should focus on actions that are beneficial to society.
• • Having a support system such as family and friends can also help in getting through difficult experiences. Maintaining balance between daily activities, career, and leisure can also ensure a person’s emotional stability
• FRIEDRICH NIETZSCHE

  • “To live is to suffer, to survive is to find some meaning in the suffering.”
• WITHDRAWAL

  • coping mechanism for pain.
  • self-protective measure a person uses to keep from getting hurt again
• RUMINATION

  • maladaptive coping mechanism
  • involves repetitive and unproductive analysis of a person's negative emotional state
• ISOLATION

  • a result of anxiety and depression in that some individuals use it as a self-induced coping mechanism to deal with excessive worry and avoid human interaction.
• AVOIDANCE

  • avoiding or distancing oneself from a stressor, rather than dealing with it.
• ESCAPISM

  • The act of using activities or fantasies to mentally "escape" from unpleasant realities or stressful situations in life