Richard Rayner, MD
“Suffering is the tuition you pay for a character degree.” This is a phrase that I have found to be true over and over again. No one escapes suffering in this life. Neither wealth, nor intelligence, nor wisdom, nor physical strength, nor beauty can protect you from it. It knocks differently for each of us, but at some point suffering will show up at the doorstep of your life.
The value of a thing can be measured in many ways. How much did I pay for it? How much can I sell it for? What is the demand for it? A strictly financial or monetary approach works for many things, but what about the areas of life that are hard to put a price on? Is there a value to suffering? Can it be redeemed for anything of true worth?
The areas of life that we ultimately care about often have very little footing in the material world. We long for the things that touch our hearts. What relationships are we engaged in? How do I view my life situation? How do I feel in my body? Can I do the activities I love to do?
There’s no app to create or fix these areas. Indeed many, if not all, technological developments are focused on relieving some type of hardship or lightening our workload through efficiency. All good! I’m for it! However, in the areas mentioned above, improvement comes only when we consistently pursue good things over the long haul. It’s costly, though. You cannot create things of lasting value and of rich quality quickly and easily. It’s simply a different economy at play than in other areas of life.
In his book, “The Barbarians,” Alessandro Baricco suggests a new approach of our modern age in which we are “surfers” through life. He argues that while surfing through life may be frustrating to the old school folks, it is really OK. I would beg to differ. Substance trumps the superficial every time. Diving deep is better than skimming the crest of the wave. Deep roots ensure a tree remains standing tall. A solid foundation is something upon which a dependable house can be built. Struggle drives us deep.
So if it’s such a great thing, should we pursue suffering? One could argue that there is tremendous value in conceived struggle through such things as pursuing a tough course of study, or attempting a physical feat such as climbing a mountain or running a marathon. However, the soul-based suffering is not something we need to pursue. Some have done that through the ages to try to prove things to themselves, to others, to God. No need; you will have the opportunity to try suffering on for size. Try to embrace it and let it do its refining work. You will be more resilient next time suffering comes a-knocking.
