Suffering. Needless or Necessary?

Is suffering necessary for each of us? Can we appreciate the light without the dark, the sour without the sweet?

If we look at religious traditions suffering can form a core element in the human condition. Buddhists see life as suffering (Dukkha). Christianity see the suffering of Jesus as part of life that we must emulate.

Recently in Scotland the bill for assisted dying was defeated in parliament. Is this an acceptance that people should suffer? how could this suffering lead to any kind of growth?

Biologically speaking pain is the method of warning the body of danger and therefore suffering is necessary for our safety. there are cases of those who experience no pain who have suffered terrible injuries because of their inability to suffer physical pain.

Some psychologists (The Yerkes-Dodson Law) proposes that suffering/stress is necessary for an organism to reach peak performance.

Welcome to the Stirling Philosophy and debate group. We look forward to you joining us for our next debate. no expertise necessary just curiosity and an interest in the human condition.