THE PRIMARY CAUSES OF HUMAN SUFFERING
The primary causes of human suffering can be categorized into external events and internal psychological factors, with perspectives varying across different philosophical and religious traditions.
External Causes
Physical Pain and Illness:
The unavoidable experience of physical pain, disease, and the bodily decline associated with aging and death are universal sources of suffering.
Loss and Disappointment:
Experiencing the loss of loved ones, unmet needs, and the failure of situations to meet expectations are common causes of emotional distress.
Man-Made Evil and Injustice:
Suffering can be caused by the actions of other humans, including cruelty, violence, war, abuse, and systemic inequalities that lead to poverty and injustice.
Natural Disasters and Random Events:
“Time and unforeseen events,” such as accidents, natural disasters (earthquakes, droughts, tsunamis), and other random misfortunes, are causes of suffering beyond human control.
Internal and Psychological Causes
Desire and Attachment:
Many traditions, particularly Buddhism, identify desire (craving for material goods, your wants, immortality) and attachment (clinging to things, outcomes, or an unhealthy ego) as primary roots of suffering. This includes expectations that people and situations should be different from what they are, so setting up false expectations that are never met and bringing self-created disappointment.
There are 4 main attachment types-
- Secure
- Anxious
- Avoidant
- Disorganised
Ignorance and Delusion:
A lack of understanding of the true nature of reality or one’s self is often cited as the fundamental cause of suffering. This “unawareness” leads to wrong or poor quality thoughts and actions, creating a cycle of dissatisfaction. See Dunning Kruger effect.
Aversion and Hatred:
The emotional responses of anger, hatred, and hostility towards unpleasant experiences or people contribute significantly to internal suffering. Keeping grudges and hatred and bitterness for others harms the self.
Ego and Selfishness:
An unhealthy focus on the self, including hurt ego and selfishness, leads to actions and attitudes that create suffering for both the individual and others. Denial of issues that are created will not make you learn and remove and upgrade. You cannot teach someone who thinks they already know.
Overthinking and Negative Thought Patterns:
The mind’s tendency to ruminate on negative thoughts and label experiences as “good” or “bad” is considered a source of suffering, distinct from the physical pain itself.
Instead of asking “why is this happening to me?”, from a victim mindset, ask yourself “what is this teaching me?”. Reject the injury and the injury goes away. Nothing is so, unless you think it. Your reaction to a situation, is it beneficial to you or do your reactions create further suffering for you?
Many people get a “thought-form” and get stuck on that groove and they have no tools to stop them from repeating their scripts. Which can be changed into better more healthy positive thought-forms.
These are the various current challenges that everyone faces in life. You cannot go through life without having to deal with internal and external conflicts of some type, so it is important to know and be able to have the tools to deal with them. The tools and info are available for those who seek them.
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