Introduction

Any that have been following my on-going series, How The Devil Introduced Me To God, will be aware of the difficulties I had understanding the horrors of this world back in my younger years. I was forced, just like so many of us, to adopt a coping-mechanism that would allow me to come to terms with the seemingly inescapable suffering that afflicts each and every person in one way or another.

There are a number of methods one can make use of in order to deal with the darker side of humanity. Some choose ignorance; it's easy to make it through the day without worrying about the families that are suffering on the Gaza Strip, the thousands of children out there being abused, and the millions of people that are starving on the streets, if you are unwilling to spare them a thought or even accept the existence of their pain.

This is an effective coping mechanism-- for oneself. But, for those out there in need of help, it is certainly not. How can we, as people, help our fellow brothers and sisters that are in desperate need of our assistance, if we remain willfully ignorant to their plight, all so that we might sleep better at night? The answer is; we cannot.

This is why I believe it is imperative that we adopt a means of coping with suffering, that allows room for the recognition of its existence. My hopes are that this message can reach some of those who have not yet found a way to subsist amidst a world of perpetual pain, and that it might serve to present a new ideology to those who have had enough of conscious unawareness.

Why There Is So Much Suffering

I do not ascribe myself to any particular doctrine of faith. It is my belief, that the Bible, the Quran, the Torah and every other religious scripture, are simply some of the earliest and best examples of systems of control. In spite of this, I feel that there are lessons to be learned from these writings, and that there is a principal factor in each of these scriptures that I believe represents the ideology I am going to share with you.

What I speak of, is something that I have come to interpret as an immutable law of the universe. Judaeo-Christian religions refer to it as Good vs Evil. It is embodied within the ancient Chinese philosophy of the Yin and Yang. You will even find it in the field of physics, exemplified through Newton's third law of motion: "For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction."

You need but one word to express what is epitomized by each of these systems: Balance.

Just as there is equal measures of night and day, I have come to observe an equal measure of pleasure and pain, of joy and suffering, and of happiness and misery. We have all heard quotes akin to, "there is no sunshine without rain," and I'm sure that we all understand the message behind them. But, how many of us take that philosophy and incorporate it into our very understanding of the world we reside in?

Imagine if you will, a world with no sadness, hurt or negativity of any type. How long would it be, I wonder, before the colour that surrounds us faded to shades of grey? How many days of this utopian world would we get through before we lost the ability to appreciate the lack of suffering in society? Without the contrast of the undesirable aspects of existence, I fear we would be unable to find value in what we now consider to be the good times.

Life is precious, we can all agree on that. Would we still feel that way however, if there was no such thing as death to bring light to the significance of life? Would we be able to take joy from the miracle of birth if we did not possess the knowledge of loss and bereavement? And would we be able to smile if we could not frown, or laugh if we could not cry? I believe not, and that is why, whether we like it or not, suffering has a place in this world, and it is likely that it always will.

How To Cope

It's easy to grasp this principle. To assimilate it, live it, and retain it however, is far more difficult a task. Before one can adopt a true belief in this universal law of balance, they must first find evidence to support it. This evidence cannot be found through reading articles such as this, nor through the viewing of YouTube videos or any other secondary source of information. There is but one way in which this truth can be realised; through observation.

I know from personal experience, that one can easily become overwhelmed by the shittier side of life. When you are surrounded by a system conceived of avarice, with its unrelenting tentacles visible in every aspect of society, it is very difficult to focus on anything other than the resulting afflictions that have befallen everyone because of that system.

A mindset such as this, one which offers attention only to the negative, can be both psychologically, and emotionally crippling. This perspective can transform even something as simple as a walk down the street into a negative experience. One's attention is stolen by the homeless beggar, crouched in the corner wondering if they will eat today. The scar on a young man's face as he passes by, indicative of a violent attack in his history. The clothing store on the corner, where children in developing countries worked an entire day to make those garments for nothing more than a meal. And of course one could never miss the largest building, towering over the corner of the street; the bank that is responsible for all of our enslavement to little pieces of paper, and the subsequent hardship that befalls society.

It's certainly difficult to find balance when this is all our minds present to us. But, if we are going to observe the whole picture and find the balance we are searching for, we must learn to avert our eyes from these negative examples of life and focus on the positives that also surround us. Difficult though it may be, if we can do this, we will notice the mother pushing her newborn baby down the street in a stroller, with a smile upon both their faces. The couple walking behind them holding hands, clearly in love and laughing away happily. We will notice the pre-wrapped gift protruding from the gentleman ahead's shopping bag, telling us that someone is about to get a surprise that they will enjoy. We may see the teenage girl standing at the side of the street with a rain-proof coat on and a clipboard in her hand, attempting to raise money for a great cause. We will see smiles on too many faces to count if we look hard enough, and wedding rings on fingers symbolizing a person who no longer has to go through the troubles of life alone.

It's not easy, but if you can seek to find the beauty in this life at every chance you get, it will not take long before you come to the realisation that there is just as much of it around us as there is ugliness. When you reach this point, you will have a new mindset. One which is healthier, more inspiring and continuously rewarding. Now, to observe an instance of suffering-- even at an immense level--will only remind you of Newton's third law, "For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction." You will remember this and you will know that, somewhere in the world, either in that moment or one that will come to pass soon, the level of suffering you just witnessed will be answered with an equal measure of joy.

Whilst this perspective can be a very effective tool to keep one's spirits high, and keep bouts of depression at a minimum, we mustn't use it as an excuse to accept the suffering in the world. It is still our duty to do what we can to prevent it at any given chance. It is my belief, that it is through our acts of kindness and compassion that this balance is maintained, and to pass up on an opportunity to help another, is to deny them the joy that would have counteracted the misery they have suffered, or will suffer in future.

A final thought:

If we consider this law of balance applicable to all things in the universe, then it could also be demonstrated through the philosophy of Karma. Your efforts to help others when they are in need, may be what guarantees you a helping hand when the time comes that you, yourself are in need. Know that there is a flip side to that coin however; To pass up an opportunity to help another when it was in your power to do so, could result in a choice being made to deny you the help you need in future.

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It was almost a decade ago now that I embraced this philosophy, and the years since then have been so much easier than those that came before. Of course, there will always be struggles in life, but through this state of mind, I have come to find that those struggles are now a rarity. Hopefully, this post will serve to help another achieve the same state of (mostly)stress free existence.

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