Sacred Silence Of Sadness

@Helgafy Hi my friend!

It's a good, simple, honest question. Why do we suffer?

I will try to do it justice.

First lets look at the lowest layer. The body, and the life of the organism. Pain is a neccessary aspect for self-protection. We know that because people with congenital insensitivity to pain, mostly don't live beyond 25. So pain is an incentive, and a teacher, to protect ones body.

On the interpersonal level, of the persons character and how they relate to others. Suffering teaches us compassion. You can't empathize unless you also know pain. Empathy is the act of feeling someone elses pain on some level. Often the kindest souls have interesting stories to tell of great suffering and hardship.

On the personal level, of the persons maturity and how they relate to life, hardship in particular teaches us resilience. What greater disservice can you do to a child than to pamper and guard them from any suffering or hardship so that when they go out into the world, they are overcome by everything? So a loving parent will bravely allow their kid to face the harsh realities of life so they can grow and adapt as nature intended.

On the psychological level, of the self image, one form of suffering teaches us humility. Which is very valuable to us and others. Without the painful blows to our egos every now and then, our egos would naturally become very inflated, to our and other peoples detriment. Just like a nail or claw that doesn't get any abrasion, it grows long. And it becomes a handicap instead of useful. Egos need to be regularly pruned, and that is humiliating, embarrassing, shaming, and makes us feel guilty. But those painful feelings are just part of how this beautiful system functions so well.

These are some of the functional ways that pain, suffering and hardship operate.

But this is not satisfying because while it sort of make mechanical sense of the role of unpleasantness in the beauty of life, it doesn't quite scratch the itch from where this question actually arises.

Where this question mostly comes from, is the emotional turmoil we all have about the sense of injustice and unfairness in our own lives and in the world. What about blatant cruelty and heinous crimes? And all kinds of atrocities that are rampant in the world everywhere? What about the unimaginable pain and grief and torment that people all around the world experience at the hand of others for some sadistic need, or some monetary gain, or some perverted ideological perspective? Where's the mechanical sense in that?

Well tbh I spent maybe an answer trying to answer it but I deleted it and will have to give up at least for now. Maybe I'll find the answer in some time and then post it here as a follow up. Usually I get like epiphanies and stuff about something that's on my mind for a while so don't worry. I should get something.