LESSON 10-12

• Suffering


  An experience of unpleasantness, discomfort and pain. It is often associated with threats to human existence or the lack of pleasure/happiness in life.
• Types of suffering


  • Physical suffering (physical sensations such as discomfort, hunger, distress and pain)
  • Mental suffering (emotional and mental states such as depression, anxiety, fear, loneliness, and grief)
• Suffering can also be caused by


  The conflict between one's notion of a "perfect world" and the actual state of the world he/she lives in, leading to anxiety, uncertainty and dread
• Weltschmerz


  Man's realization that the world can never live up to the ideal perfect world resulting to feelings of sadness or apathy
• Angst


  Fear and anxiety relating to existential dread (crisis brought about when a person begins to question his purpose and reason for being)
• Ennui


  Feeling of weariness and discontent brought about by a lack of interest/intense boredom with the world
• Views on the role of suffering in human life


  • Suffering as an undesirable human condition; humans naturally seek pleasure and avoid pain
  • Suffering is necessary to human existence
• Arthur Schopenhauer


  • Proposed a view of a world controlled by chaotic forces that bring about human suffering – Pessimistic view. This view believes that human existence is characterized by suffering caused by man's inability to meet his unlimited wants and desires.
• Buddhist philosophy


  • Considers suffering as a defining feature of human existence. The Four Noble Truths propose that human suffering is caused by desire and it will end through eliminating these desires. Believes that suffering is closely tied to spiritual progress and that all suffering ends when a person attains enlightenment.
• Hinduism


  • Considers suffering as an important component in life. Without suffering, man is unable to grow.
• Friedrich Nietzsche


  • Believes that suffering is inevitable, and that man is meant to suffer. Man should accept and embrace suffering as an important component in life.
• George Sefler


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


  A branch which tries to reconcile the existence of a benevolent, all-good God with the reality of suffering in the world
• Christian theology


  Considers suffering as a means to achieve a higher meaning in life. Christ's suffering is considered highly significant to God's plan for humankind's salvation.
• Coping


  The means that a person employs in dealing with difficult life situations, and involves a conscious effort to solve personal and interpersonal problems
• Epicureans' view on coping with suffering


  Suffering can be avoided by seeking only the pleasurable things in life and avoiding those that cause harm or pain
• Stoics' view on coping with suffering


  One must face difficulties in life with fortitude and patience
• Nietzsche's view on coping with suffering


  A person should not blame other people or look at external factors to explain his suffering
• Utilitarian philosophers' view on coping with suffering


  People should focus on actions that are beneficial to society, supported by humanitarianism which believes that the purpose of one's existence is to make other people happy
• Social aspect of dealing with suffering and adversity


  People recover from traumatic experiences more quickly if adequate social support is available
• Death


  The end of all biological functions that sustain a living organism
• Death


  • Natural occurrence
  • Certainty as a person advances in age
  • Gradual decline of body
• Senescence


  The gradual decline of body as a person advances in age
• 5 Stages of Grief


  Developed by Elisabeth Kubler-Ross
• When we lose a loved one, the pain we experience can feel unbearable. Grief is complicated and we sometimes wonder if the pain will ever end.
• Denial


  • It helps us minimize the overwhelming pain of loss
  • An attempt to absorb and understand what is happening
• Anger


  Feeling of rage when we are trying to adjust to a new reality and we are likely experiencing extreme emotional discomfort
• Bargaining


  • The "could have been" stage
  • An attempt to postpone sadness by imagining "what if" scenarios
  • You may also feel a sense of guilt or responsibility, leading you to bargain for ways to prevent more emotional pain or future losses
• Depression


  • The feeling of loss becomes more abundantly
  • We might find ourselves retreating, being less sociable, and reaching out less to others about what we are going through
• Acceptance


  • The final stage and the feeling of letting go
  • We are no longer resisting the reality of our situation, and we are not struggling to make it something different