Question:

Do you think suffering improve or worsen human condition?

Answer:

For me, sufferings or hardships improve human condition. It motivates us to fight those sufferings because if we didn’t, we will lose in this game of life. It helps us realize who we are and awakens our soul.

Depending on how you look at sufferings, they can be your road to character development. They can pull you out from your comfort zone, sometimes with no solid ground to stand on, and can lead you to make some much-needed changes in your life. If one suffering could make you develop at least one virtue, then imagine how a number of sufferings can develop your character and make you a better person.

Behind every suffering is a lesson waiting to sit on your lap and be recognized as a friend and as a teacher. For example, in case of suffering from poverty, we learn that we need to shake things up to turn our status into a higher one. In case of suffering from illnesses or diseases, we learn that we must take our health for granted, as the saying goes, “Health is wealth.”

There are numerous successful persons who really suffered to reach the peak of their success like, Soichiro Honda (founder of Honda Motors), Albert Einstein (the smartest person in his century), and Steve Jobs (founder of Apple Company). As for me, the greatest suffering I experience is having a broken family, but it doesn’t stop me for reaching my dreams. I know that God has a better plan for me. They say, “…there’s a RAINBOW always AFTER THE RAIN…”

There are 4 kinds of suffering:

1. Physical- Involves the body (handicapped person, illness)

2. Material- Involves material things (bankruptcy, poverty)

3. Mental- Involves the mind (stress, mental illness)

4. Social- Involves person (broken families, brokenhearted)