Even if you are completely happy and have a sense of peace in your life, I suspect that there have been, to put it gently, more difficult periods in your life. Also, observing our society, family or international situation from the news, the question is justified to arise, what’s wrong here? Why is there so much suffering? Can’t we just live in harmony? Why is life so cruel? Well, people have been debating this for thousands of years to find the answer.

What do wise people think about it?

The Buddha taught that life inevitably involves suffering. It’s not just physical pain, but also dissatisfaction, frustration and a sense of impermanence. It is omnipresent: birth, old age, illness, death, parting with what we love, encountering what we don’t like, and unfulfilled desires. He considered expectations, desires, lust, and attachment as the root cause of suffering. The solution? Simple. Abandon all expectations and you achieve nirvana.

In Hinduism, suffering is often related to karma, or the law of cause and effect. Actions from the past or in previous lives affect present experiences, including suffering. We boomerang back to our own actions. Illusion (maya) also plays an important role, as misperceptions of reality lead to attachment and suffering.

Christians believe that suffering can have a purifying dimension and lead to spiritual growth. It also connects with Christ himself and leads to salvation.

And what about the Stoics? They believed that suffering results from misjudgments and lack of control over emotions. They recommended accepting what is beyond our control and focusing on virtue.

Which philosophers were right?

So why is life so cruel? Who among them is right? Probably all of them a little bit. Each of us can identify with any of these options more or less. There are as many explanations and reasons as there are people in the world. Because each of us has our own path and purpose for living on this particular planet and in this particular incarnation. Or maybe we should focus on a completely different question – not why life is cruel or where my suffering comes from, but what to do to free myself from that suffering. If a snake bites you, will you chase it to find out why it did it and why life is so cruel, or will you focus on getting rid of the venom. recover and get on with your life?

Focus more on what positive things you would like to create in your life, what to do to make it better. Because by focusing on suffering and problems all the time, you are only fueling them with your energy and attention. Moreover, you put yourself in the position of a victim, rather than a person who consciously creates and leads his life on his own.

This is your path, sometimes through the desert, sometimes through the jungle, sometimes through the swamp, and no one else will walk it for you. You are the one who takes the steps, or… or lies down and just thinks. Don’t just be a philosopher. Be a creator.

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