The Wisdom of Pain
I recently rewatched the series Dopesick. Really good! Well-made, deeply moving, and thought-provoking.
One scene in particular resonated with me. A character who has finally overcome addiction shares his wisdom in a group therapy session:
You know, pain is just pain. Not good, not bad, just part of being human.
Very true!
We all experience pain. Anyone who claims otherwise is deceiving themselves or others — or both. While the intensity and duration of pain vary, it's an inevitable part of the human experience.
Naturally, we tend to view pain negatively. We label it as "bad" and an unwelcome intruder. This transformation of a natural experience into an adversary intensifies our suffering.
Ignoring pain is not the way to go, of course, but classifying it as good or bad can be equally unhelpful. Pain exists independently of our judgment. It’s a signal, a call for our attention.
If we approach pain with openness and curiosity rather than resistance, we can gain invaluable insights about ourselves. As the character in Dopesick suggests:
We just might find our better selves.