Imagine for one second that we lived in a world where suffering and personal defeats were non-existent. We would never struggle to get to where we want to be and we would always obtain what we desire. Would we be happier? Would we appreciate life as much as we do today? In my opinion, sufferance is an intrinsic part of our lives and without it, we would not have the same quality of life that we have today. I believe that suffering is caused by the desires that human beings have and their refusal to accept the misfortunes of life.
In my opinion, Buddhism explains the reason for suffering perfectly. According to this religion, there are four noble truths in the world, but there are two that really caught my eye. These two truths are ‘life is full of suffering’ and ‘suffering is caused by desire’. I believe that defeat brings suffering, and these defeats are caused by desire. Human beings assume that their desires will most likely come true and they refuse to look at what can happen negatively, which makes their hopes for something elevate enormously. When life carries different plans for them and gives them a negative outcome, reality kicks in and so does the suffering.
Suffering is also caused by the unwillingness that people have to accept the misfortunes that life brings upon them (read more on the point of view of Steven Hayes, professor of clinical psychology at the University of Nevada on the importance of acceptance). I believe that if something happens to us, it is because there is a reason hidden behind it and fighting our fate will not result in being fructuous. If people were to accept their defeats and move on with their lives, they would spend little time dwelling on what could have been and they would find happiness in another aspect of their lives. I believe that the quest for an answer to a problem is the source of why people suffer. How many times will someone wonder why it happened to them, what they did wrong to deserve it, why it happened period? People will search for unrealistic answers that will probably never come to them, but still they wonder about and fight the adversities in their lives.
The value of suffering is a fundamental value in our lives and it is the root of our appreciation. People suffer because of their desires and because of their rejection to accepting the misfortunes that life comes with.
