Does suffering have any positive benefits?

Question

suffering in general as in an oppressed group. Or indivdual suffering -- self denial like Ghandi. Does it make us weaker? stronger?

perhaps I didn't word the question correctly. Indivdual suffering, as in suffering forced on the indivdual by others. As well as self denial type suffering of the type Ghandi, did for what ever reason he did it. Where there postive benefits.

Answer 1

To understand the answer, think Spirit. Think God.

Does it not seem natural to make choice of such trials as are least painful?

“From your point of view, it would seem to be so, but not from that of the spirit; when he is freed from materiality, his illusions cease, and he thinks differently.

"Man, while upon the earth, and subjected to the influence of carnal ideas, sees only the painful aspect of the trials he is called upon to undergo; and it therefore appears to him to be natural to choose the trials that are allied to material enjoyments. But when he has returned to spirit-life, he compares those gross and fugitive enjoyments with the unchangeable felicity of which he obtains occasional glimpses, and judges that such felicity will be cheaply purchased by a little temporary suffering. A spirit may therefore, make choice of the hardest trial, and consequently of the most painful existence, in the hope of thereby attaining more rapidly to a happier state, just as a sick man often chooses the most unpalatable medicine in the hope of obtaining a more rapid cure. He who aspires to immortalise his name by the discovery of an unknown country does not seek a flowery road. He takes the road which will bring him most surely to the aim he has in view, and he is not deterred from following it even by the dangers it may offer. On the contrary, he braves those dangers for the sake of the glory he will win if he succeeds.

"The doctrine of our freedom in the choice of our successive existences and of the trials which we have to undergo ceases to appear strange when we consider that spirits, being freed from matter, judge of things differently from men. They perceive the ends which these trials are intended to work out – ends far more important for them than the fugitive enjoyments of earth. After each existence, they see the steps they have already accomplished, and comprehend what they still lack for the attainment of the purity which alone enable them to reach the goal; and they willingly submit to the vicissitudes of corporeal life, demanding of their own accord to be allowed to undergo those which will aid them to advance most rapidly. There is, therefore, nothing surprising in a spirit making choice of a hard or painful life. He knows that he cannot, in his present state of imperfection enjoy the perfect happiness to which he aspires; but he obtains glimpses of that happiness, and he seeks to effect his own improvement, as the sole means to its attainment.

"Do we not, every day, witness examples of a similar choice? What is the action of the man who labours, without cessation or repose, to amass the property which will enable him eventually to live in comfort, but the discharge of a task which he has voluntarily assumed as the means of insuring for himself a more prosperous future? The soldier who offers himself for the accomplishment of a perilous mission, the traveller who braves dangers no less formidable in the interest of science or of his own fortune, are examples of the voluntary incurring of hardships for the sake of the honour or profit that will result from their successful endurance. What will not men undergo for gain or for glory? Is not every sort of competitive examination a trial to which men voluntarily submit in the hope of obtaining advancement in the career they have chosen? He who would gain a high position in science, art, industry, is obliged to pass through all the lower degrees which lead up to it, and which constitute so many trials. Human life is thus seen to be modelled on spirit-life, presenting the same vicissitudes on a smaller scale. And as in the earthly life, we often make choice of the hardest conditions as means to the attainment of the highest ends, why should not a disincarnate spirit, who sees farther than he saw when incarnated in an earthly body, and for whom the bodily life is only a fugitive incident, make choice of a laborious or painful existence, if it may lead him on towards an eternal felicity? Those who say that, since spirits have the power choosing their existences, they will demand to be princes and millionaires, are like the purblind, who only see what they touch, or like greedy children, who, when asked what occupation they would prefer to follow, reply that they would like to be pastry-cooks of confectioners.

"It is with a spirit as with a traveller, who, in the depths of a valley obscured by fog, sees neither the length nor the extremities of his road. When he has reached the top of the hill, and the fog has cleared away, his view takes in both the road along which he has come and that by which he has still to go. He sees the point which he has to reach, and the obstacles he has to overcome in reaching it, and he is thus able to take his measures for successfully accomplishing his journey. A spirit, while incarnated, is like the traveller at the foot of the hill; when freed from terrestrial trammels, he is like the traveller who has reached the top of the hill. The aim of the traveller is to obtain rest after fatigue; the aim of the spirit is to attain to perfect happiness after tribulations and trials.

"Spirits say that, in the state of erraticity, they seek, study, observe, in order to make their choice wisely. Have we not examples of analogous action in corporeal life? Do we not often spend years in deciding on the career upon which, at length, we freely fix our choice, because we consider it to be the one in which we are most likely to succeed? If, after all, we fall in the one we have chosen, we seek out another; and each career thus embraced by us constitutes a phase, a period, of our life. Is not each day employed by us in deciding what we shall do on the morrow? And what, for a spirit, are his different corporeal existences, but so many phases, periods, days, in comparison with his spirit life, which, as we know is his normal life, the corporeal life being only a transitional passage?"

Answer 2

Suffering has positive effects,
1. The person doing the tormenting or ordering it is happy,
2. The results of doing the suffering gives a voice in them (sometimes),
3. The people around can manipulate him by saying they can end their suffering if they do this or that,
4. If we suffer enough that we are use to it, we got stronger, for we are more immune to that suffering.
5. The people who try to help you, who care for you or need you will help you as much as they can to make you better, (you can then manipulate them to do certain things)
6. The people who are not suffering can be happy that they are not suffering.
Not really a benefit, also makes us weaker, if we can't take it we will be weaker, may it be starvation, dehydration, or anything of that sort.
The person suffering isnt neccesary benefiting a lot, rather the person that is either inflicting it or the people around benefits from it.
To create happiness, we must create sadness in others, (sometimes). For example, we make fun of someone, that person suffers, we feel powerful and superior.

Answer 3

Just as different things make different people suffer, different people have different reactions to suffering. It is all what we make it to be. I believe that my suffering makes me stronger. Because everytime I suffer, I realize that is one more thing I went through and survived. And I feel stronger. Somebody else might go through the exact same situation and think "if I ever have to go through something like that again, I will surely die". Some people are stronger than others. It doesn't mean they are right or wrong. People are just different.

Answer 4

There is no benefits of smoking...do not do it, it's probably one of the stupidiest thigns to do. If you are pressured into smoking, try to say no. If that doesn't work, then try to make up an excuse before hand. Think of excuses that you can use that can help in that situation. If you have a Parol officer, then u can say something like: "Nah man, i can't take it b/c my PO can come any minute and i can be screwed." Or if u go to a therapist then u can say,:"Dude, i can't..my therapist is wacked and does suprise checks and she can show up any minute." Just make up excuses before hand. Chances are, if ur in a group of 5+ people, ur most likely not the only one who doesn't want to smoke. Just say NO!

Answer 5

Suffering itself doesn't help you. What you learn form your experiences help you. If you only view suffering as pointless pain and see it all negatively, then yes, suffering is pointless. It takes a strong minded person to realize that you learn through all the things you go through in life. Ex. A shoplifter has an addiction to shoplifting. They get caught, and suffer the punishment. ALTHOUGH, they're less likely to ever do it again. So, depending on your outlook on life, suffering can help or destroy.

Answer 6

This question comes from someone who has obviously never suffered.

Suffering in itself has no merit whatsoever.

But what we can learn through our experience of suffering - what our reflection on suffering can teach - what we can learn about ourselves and others - in that, suffering can have great worth.

Ghandhi did not suffer for suffering's sake, but for a cause. As a statement that some things are more important than human comfort.

Suffering has worth if we give it worth.

Answer 7

They say "what doesn't kill you makes you stronger", even if it is inflicted by outsiders, or just by your self. I don't know about physical suffering, but psychical suffering can prepare you for reality if it doesn't drive you insane... It's like a knife with two edges, I guess. You can consider this benefit as worth the suffering, or not; but if you can't avoid it, you might as well try to be satisfied with its "benefits".

Answer 8

Suffering can be a powerful catalyst for change. That is a possible benefit to COME from suffering, but the suffering itself is pretty non-positive, I'd say.

Answer 9

I see suffering as positive. It enables you to think of new strategies to find a solution to put an end to it. So if it doesn't make you stronger, it helps you to improve your thoughts.

Answer 10

You learn. And Gandhi brought about many positive benefits. He truly was a hero.

Answer 11

That which does not kill us only makes us stronger.