Do we know how to suffer?

Guest speaker Agne Zo explores why we are so quick to avoid suffering—and whether it might instead deepen awareness and change how we understand ourselves.

We live in a culture that is both preoccupied with suffering and uneasy about it—quick to pathologise it, numb it, or put it on display, yet rarely willing to ask what it might be for.

This talk approaches suffering not simply as something to avoid or fix, but as something to understand in its own right. Drawing on philosophical and spiritual traditions, it explores the idea that suffering can change how we perceive and attend to our experience, deepen awareness, and under certain conditions become a source of transformation.

The question is not simply whether we can suffer less—but whether we know how to suffer well.

Where: Downstairs room, Square Pig, Holborn (private room)

NB: The event begins at 7pm, doors open at 6:50pm. Event ends at 9pm

Format: 10-minute intro talk → vote on questions → small-group discussion → share insights with the whole room

Discounts: If cost is a barrier, we want to make the session as accessible as possible. If you are a student, unemployed, or on a low income, please feel free to send me a direct message to get a reduced-price place.

Refunds: If you are unable to attend and would like a refund, please send me a direct message at least 48 hours before the event.
Unfortunately, I’m not able to offer refunds for cancellations made after this point, as it becomes difficult to reallocate places at short notice.