Do you think dwelling on the sorrowful, painful side of life can give a person valuable wisdom or be harmful?

Question

This is a deep question and I'm curious to your answers. Thanks.

Answer 1

My mom used to say, "Some people aren't happy unless they are sad". I didn't understand that for a long time, but now I do.

It is okay to dwell or ponder as long as you don't let it control you life. Yes, sometimes dwelling on sorrow can lead to useful insight. Sometimes prolonged dwelling is actually required for a person to "come to terms" with misfortune. I tend to embrace grief. It helps me accept and understand. It helps me appreciate not only what I did have but what I currently have. But once I feel the grief has become useless, or even harmful, I make myself turn my back on it. Not necessarily completely.... I don't have that kind of power.... but I force myself to manage it by allowing myself only particular times of the day to purposely think about it. And when it sneaks in at inappropriate times, I do whatever it takes to "shake it off."

Some of our most talented authors, artists, poets, etc have been known to dwell on the sorrowful, painful side of life. And their craft is better for it. So yes, sometimes that frame of mind has value. Sometimes it can cause a person to self destruct.

Answer 2

This is a tricky question that I often wonder.

Personally, thinking about the painful experiences can often be a hidden gem that can help you reflect on priorities in life and help a person slow down the frenzy of the life that's around them.

Having said that, dwelling on past experience for too long might prove to be harmful to one's personal development. Life is short but it's long enough to provide us with opportunities to move on and better ourselves. So everyone needs to pick themselves up and rebuild the pieces of their life that they might have been "shattered" by the sorrowful, painful side of life...

Answer 3

From personal experience it can be harmful...more so if a person is already predisposed to dark thoughts or depression...I tend to dwell on the bad and not enough on the good and positive and it brings my whole outlook on life down and makes me a pretty bleak person at times. You need some good and bad in life, but thinking too much about bad seems to just drag you down into a more negative mood. So I am trying to focus more on positive things and forget the negative, sounds easier than it is. It is good though for people to think about negative things and try to discover or change it to make it into something good and positive, then you not only helped but you feel twice as good about your little bit of change you helped in the world.

Answer 4

Unless you are a writer, there really is not much use for it. Sorrow is great inspiration if you're a poet. If you're trying to move forward with your life and be happy though, I think it's only really neccessary to dwell on painful things when you see a familiar pattern starting to reoccur so you can recognize it and detour past that waste of your time and emotions.

Answer 5

First of all, "dwelling" on anything painful may or may not be healthy, depending on what you define as to "dwell" or to fester over something that has happened. Sometimes we dwell regardless if we want to because of the pain we have experienced. It really truly depends. Dwelling can also be a sign of depression (if it never does give you an enlightenment and instead stays and festers.)

Answer 6

I think it is important to take and learn from different situations. While sad and painful issues do hurt, they can glean some important lessons. However, there should be a balance. If one was to let the sorrow and pain take up their whole existence, it wouldn't be good for them. They wouldn't see the good that is around them and would probably become depressed. I think sorrow and pain can strengthen a person, but they shouldn't let it take over their existence.

Answer 7

If you're reflecting in order to figure out a way to solve the problems that cause your sorrow and pain, that can be wise and beneficial. But if you're just ruminating about your pain and sorrow, that solves nothing. Some people say extreme sorrow and hardship builds character, but I disagree. Misery doesn't make you brave or wise or strong, it just makes you miserable.

Answer 8

If you always dwell on the negative, it is very harmful. The power of negative thinking can actually cause you to deteriorate faster than someone that lives with light heartedness and positive outlook. Besides, who wants to be around someone who cannot let go of bad things. We all suffer and must either deal or die.....

Answer 9

I am finding it very painful to dwell on the past, and everyday I think about it, so I try very hard to not because do I want to be happy today or sad today, I need to think happy

Answer 10

I work with a woman who sees nothing but the worst in her life. I also work with a woman the same age who thinks "normally" Lets just say the negitive woman looks a goo 10 years older, is sick more often, has no social life, and doesn't get along with other people very well. PS, being emo is dumb.