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Hughes says in his book “In It Together” that the main reason for human suffering is our constant desire for gain. And when we achieve whatever that “gain” is, we move on to the next things. To suffer, he says, is to have unfulfilled desire.

While I agree in a general sense with this, the main reason people experience this is because what they’re trying to obtain is merely physical needs…even if it is a worthy goal, you will always be wanting to, needing to, obtain more and more because what you’re wanting is earthly. Man-made. If what you try to obtain is peace, happiness, acceptance, etc, then that constant need to get more and more, will grow less and less.

“To live is to suffer” is only true when our goals remain earthly and physical, tied to greed—even in an “innocent” or “pure” form. Instead, it should say “To live is to learn/grow/change.” Any variance of these words. We were not meant to simply live to suffer, but we live to GROW. And yes, sometimes that growth involves suffering, but to live only to suffer? No. We live to learn how not to suffer.

If we accept suffering and death as an inherent part of our humanity, these cease to affect us. However, it is hard to remain serene when your child gets sick with cancer. However, Scott refers to the suffering triggered by our neverending ambitions. From this perspective, we are doomed to suffer as we are never content with what we have.

Although we must go through some form of suffering in our lives. I believe there is more to life than suffering. I believe our attitude matters a lot in helping us navigate the life's challenges. If we focus on the challenges, we will always think that we were born to suffer, but if we focus on the positives, we will learn from the challenges and enjoy life. So, I agree, we live to learn how not to suffer.

Hi

Great post.
I suffered a lot thinking about suffering and watching other people suffer.
I agree with Scott in that our acknowledgement of the facts of life on earth ( We are born, experience pain, hopefully grow old and then die). IOW- "To live is to suffer".
This acknowledgement / awareness allows us to see that we get to choose the time called "now" in which we are alive and can live to our fullest potential.

The above is my interpretation of what I have read, Thank you for sharing your insight. All the best forward.

warm regards

Jenna

This reflects the human experience of encountering challenges and difficulties throughout life. While suffering is an inevitable part of the human condition, it's not the sole aspect of existence. Life also encompasses moments of joy, love, growth, and fulfillment. Therefore, while suffering is a reality that many people face, it doesn't define the entirety of the human experience. Instead, life is a complex tapestry of both suffering and moments of happiness, growth, and connection.

Hi!

To live is to suffer, because it's part of this life. We suffer more if our desires are selfish. In any event, we do suffer to a certain degree. People who rely on their faith find suffering bearable, but it is still suffering. So I agree that to live is to suffer.