DWQA QuestionsCategory: MetaphysicsFrankl wrote: “It goes without saying that the realization of attitudinal values, the achievement of meaning through suffering, can take place only when the suffering is unavoidable.” What is Creator’s perspective?
Nicola Staff asked 2 years ago
This reflects a partial truth, that suffering contains within it an assumption of responsibility on the part of the sufferer. If it is truly unavoidable, as was the case for concentration camp inmates, doing the best one can in the face of adversity is noble, and will, indeed, enrich the soul although through a ghastly means and necessity imposed by others. The extent to which one can rise to the occasion is a mark of character, spiritual alignment, and inner strength. The deeper meaning is the suffering itself as a learning opportunity, so it is not only to be simply endured but is a teachable moment in the effects of negativity on the soul and all parts of the being, because all can be compromised, wounded, and altered thereafter to be out of alignment and dysfunctional. There is much to be learned from going through the trials and tribulations of physical existence—that is the hidden wisdom in this experiment. You learn by doing, not by studying the thoughts of others and observing things from a distance. Only by facing the fire personally can you truly learn about the necessity of divine alignment in the face of evil, and how to respond to the challenge effectively, and what it takes within to do so. Those principles are easily recounted, the tools and attributes that will be necessary, but it is another to cultivate and allow their expression from deep within the being to embody them, and bring them into a full manifestation with one's energy when one is on the firing line and may well get a reprisal that is painful or even lethal. That takes courage and is quite a different thing from the challenges to the scholar, who only needs time and a quiet place to study, to carry out their role. It is the doer who takes risks and will learn and grow by the doing. That is what the sufferer gains from their plight; it is not wasted even though it is dreadful and unpleasant—the learning will be equally powerful.