Personal Suffering Analysis

David Brooks argues, in his essay “What Suffering Does”, that pain often gives people a new outlook and possibly even a new path in life. He explains that suffering can help people see their lives from an outsider’s perspective, discover new depths of their character, and often find new paths: “The grief of having lost a loved one smashes through what they thought was the bottom floor of their personality, revealing an area below,” (Brooks 286). Brooks in this passage describes how suffering can enhance a person’s character. As cliché as it sounds, hardships can, in fact,

We all have been in a bad situation yet very few of us would go as far as to label themselves as suffering. To suffer is to experience or be subjected to something bad or unpleasant. In the cases of Mary Rowlandson and Olaudah Equiano they both had to endure watching those near them grasped by the cold hands of death. Unlike Equiano, Mary was subjected to a form of suffering that created conflicts within herself concerning her predicament and her god. Equiano on the other hand was placed in isolation with those around him choosing to commit suicide,thus leading him to the edge of depression.

suffering is present in the world, but also accept the fact that there is nothing we humans can

Firstly, suffering can make you stronger. When you suffer, you move through things that are tough. Anne Frank was a young girl that went through the Holocaust. She powered through it and was strong the entire time up until her death. Suffering is able to give you strength because you made it through. Powering through things shows a sign of strength. If you never have to suffer, you will not have to prove your strength and you cannot become a better person. Anne Frank wouldn’t of been able to share her story of strength if she hadn’t

1. Describe a time when you experienced a significant period of suffering. How did you deal with that experience? How did you find comfort in the midst of suffering?

Why humans suffer and where God is during it are theological questions that have constantly been debated on. Rabbi Kushner in the PBS video Suffering: A Time to Love and a Time to Hate, John F. Haught in his book Responses to 101 Questions on God and Evolution, and the Bible each provide their own analysis on where God is when humans are suffering and persecuted. Thomas West is his chapter “The Human Response of Hope” gives his insight regarding life after death especially hope for salvation. All these sources aid in answering personal questions regarding theodicy: suffering, death, and hope.

Evidently, suffering can give a person strength to go on in their daily lives. Being

Suffering joins people closer to Christ and his sufferings, especially in persecution (1 Pet. 4:1-2, 12-16, 19; 5:8-10; Luke 9:23; Phil. 3:10).

Imagine a world where happiness is given to you. Happiness is not worked for nor earned, you just get it. Aldous Huxley’s novel, Brave New World, is a novel written in 1932, where Huxley predicts the future of humankind. At the time, Henry Ford was famous for the cheap mass production of the T-model cars using the assembly line. Thus, Huxley predicts a future in which people from the World State(the society he predicts the future will hold) are engineered in test tubes and conditioned to be one of the castes in their society. In this society, the characteristics and emotions that makes humans human are banned. Families, love, passion, literature, natural birth, religion and monogamy are banned because

Our experiences of suffering may also help us in our moral conduct as an experience of suffering serves to make us sympathetic to the trials of others. We learn to a) help the afflicted (through consolation and relief) and to B) not inflict harm on others, having experienced suffering ourselves. Furthermore, many spiritual seekers in the past have felt that suffering and spiritual progress are inexorably linked, pointing to St Teresa of Avila and St Francis of AssisiI as examples . I believe that if we can learn from our

The suffering of man is a very complicated matter that is most likely impossible to understand completely. It is a subject that people have grappled with since the dawn of recorded history. In fact, suffering is evident in every form of art man has created. Suffering is in our paintings, our poetry, our music, our plays, and in anything else that is conceivable. But still, we as a whole still struggle with the idea of suffering. It is my opinion that some individuals may grasp the notion of suffering more than others, but that no one person will ever fully understand suffering in every form. A person may only understand his or her own personal suffering, not suffering as a whole. It is the next step to then say

The model I have experienced in my life is joy and suffering. It came in the form of joy suffering and joy again. Before I was deployed in 2006 I was experiencing God on many levels; but by the time I made it to Camp Shelby, I was so busy I did not have time to stop and reflect on God. To some this may not seem like a big deal, but I was spiritually suffering. I had to learn that suffering was not only physically, but it is also spiritually. I remember going home on break, and one of the Deacons testified referencing the footsteps in the sand poem. This poem reminded me; when I cannot reflect on God He is still there. (Joy), being able to reflect with no distractions. (Suffering), not knowing how to reflect on God when life gets too busy. (Joy),

I believe suffering results from our separation from God. He is holy, all-powerful, all-loving, all that is good. Each day I find myself doing things that move me away from Him. Every time I sin, the world becomes a little bit worse. I can do no good thing apart from God. The more I separate myself from Him, the more likely I am to cause someone else harm or pain.

The quote “What doesn’t kill us, makes us stronger” is credited to the German theorist, Friedrich Nietzsche. The wording was changed ever so slightly over time as Nietzsche said it: “That which does not kill us, makes us stronger.” As it goes, he was absolutely correct.

We see this in The Book of Job too. To Job, suffering happens as a result of God testing us. A Satan questioned the followings of God's people. This led to God testing his best subject, Job. God made Job suffer in the worst way any human being could. This would be physical suffering and mental suffering. When God took away Job's family and possessions, he suffered mentally. All of his possessions and loved ones were gone without a reason known to him. It was physical suffering when he was struck with sores about his body. This also gives reason to suffering that happens when you can't explain it. Even a person who thinks that they are perfect can suffer. You could be just like Job, almost a perfect worshiper. That would be even more the reason for you to be tested. The Book of Job is one of the teachings of the Bible, a spiritual and religious guide. A person reading this would believe that suffering is a test. It is a test of your faith, your faith in God. Therefore, if we were suffering, as long as we keep faith, the suffering will end. As long as we keep faith the suffering will stop, and better things will happen and develop.