The potential in pain

No, I am not a masochist.

Pain is a warning system, an indicator that we should be careful or investigate and that is all. If we twist an ankle, the pain tells us to tread lightly to limit further damage, a stomachache warns of bad food or illness.

But pain can be overridden and postponed.

Imagine twisting an ankle very badly while running. Do you stop running? What about if you were being chased by a hungry lion?

Fear is a brilliant delayer of pain. It is so good at it that it will work to avoid the pain in the first place, this is why we fear being in pain. I have never heard anyone say 'When I die, I hope it is excruciating' or 'I am really looking forward to experiencing the pain of childbirth'.

Pain is feared and fear is an emotional pain. Perhaps the oldest of all emotions in my opinion as it is the saviour, the protector, the caution that allows the room for love to be realised. Fear keeps us alive long enough to form bonds and the space to have a chance to comprehend the meaning of love.

The issue arises though when we face psychological discomforts that threaten our sense of self. That being the way in which we view our idea, beliefs and life purpose. These things are at the core of who we are, well in my view, what we at least identify as being who we are.

In the past, the curious Georges who investigated what that growling sound was in the bushes often didn't make it through to pass on their genes. Those that feared the unknown sound did live long enough to further the species.

But, once emotional pains started to form in humans, the fearful protector began overreaching in its job description and applying its skill to places it was never trained to protect. So, a heavy handed approach gets applied instead of a cautious advance into the bushes.

Whenever our sense of self gets questioned heavily, fear's need to protect the 'self' kicks in and attempts to repel the threat. Before, it would run away but this tactic that works against dangerous beasts has proven counter-productive with humans discussing ideas.

So instead, it is a psychological retreat from the unknown or unwanted. Again, becoming catatonic is unfruitful so fear recruits other emotional states, such as denial and anger to help combat the intruding ideas.

This effectively stops the insurgent ideas but it comes at a cost of retarding mental growth into unknown areas as the psychological unknown always causes discomfort. But, if it is always avoided, nothing is ever discovered.

Of course, discomfort isn't always avoided. Often it is pushed down pathways one step at a time with each building upon the last. Sometimes this pathway leads up a hill of great good or achievement, sometimes the path is a slippery slope of disaster or harm.

It is essentially a process of brainwashing that takes place where each step is further away from the starting point, but one step closer to the next step. The best and worst of us have all taken paths, not always by choice.

And once far enough along those paths, any question that contradicts its position or direction gets batted away from the hand of fear. Beliefs are difficult things to shake when all steps taken lead to their creation.

So here I will leave it. Psychological pain is an indicator that we are hearing or approaching what we do not know, understand or fear it will change us or bring into question who we think we are. It raises the call to fear for protection but it is not fears job to step in. Psychologically speaking, it is curiosity's responsibility.

Curiosity had a reserve role in the field and was only called upon when fear had cleared an area as safe for play. But in the psychological playground, it is fear's turn to take a step back and give control over to curiosity.

A curious mind can explore all of the positions, all of the questions, all of the ideas, beliefs, concepts and every facet of life and always remain safe for thoughts never need become action, and consideration does not constitute acceptance.

Perhaps, if more people learned to trust curiosity and bench fear, anger and denial would appear less and violence would be reduced. We can't have freedom of speech if we do not first have freedom of mind.

So, for me at least, this is the power of pain and why I see it as a blessing. Once we suffer enough, perhaps we will become curious enough to investigate if there is another way to live.

Taraz
[ a Steem original ]

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