The Human Struggle to Alleviate Suffering

// LINKS //

// COURSES //

// BOOKS //

#JordanPeterson #JordanBPeterson #DrJordanPeterson #DrJordanBPeterson #DailyWirePlus

[Razear]

Overworking can be just as detrimental as being unproductive, but if everyone collectively strived for the latter, the world would be a much better place. You can always dial things back, but it's really difficult to transform laziness into sustained productivity.

[mattwagner]

I love when you sometimes spot commonalities across languages. Looking at the word “paradise”, I’m reminded that the Spanish word for “wall” is “pared”.

[imnotanalien]

As usual, very interesting, there are so many layers to Bible stories, there is always so much to learn about. Thank you Dr. Peterson.

[dcarter]

Best book to help you is Grow Beyond by dr. Nathan Chambers. It's easy to read and on point. You should definitely try it.

[whiskeymonk]

Buddha's mission to alleviate suffering spurred many sects of followers who have their own take on how it can be dealt with. It's a fascinating philosophical spectrum.

[ashleygatewood]

I couldn’t help but think of a recent exploration I attempted into the story of the King of Israel in the north, the Syrian army, and how Elisha provoked a siege of the city of Samaria. (I didn’t think to include Eden being a similar walled garden as a point of reference, because I’m not that smart. That’s one reason I enjoy following you, you help me see things I wouldn’t otherwise put together.) Since the city of Samaria was surrounded by a wall, it could be likened to a walled garden which kept everything out that the inhabitants didn’t want inside the walls. So the wall served a purpose of good, gave protection and a sense of comfort.

Now Elisha was outside the walls stirring up a bit of chaos (cause that’s what prophets tend to do) - playing really, you could see it like that I guess - and he provoked through his play the king of the Syrian army one to many times. So in being made a fool of, the King of Syria surround the city of Samaria as a direct consequence of the Prophet’s actions in the world, outside the walls. This then pushed the prophet inward behind the walled city and into a famine along with all the other inhabitants. There is perhaps a great significance here that again, I am not smart enough to see.

Then there were four lepers who lived outside the walled city - these we might see as anything the inhabitants behind the protective wall did not want wandering amongst them for whatever reasons. The lepers represented something the inhabitants feared, let’s say, or were disgusted by or maybe even challenged by. They were the sand in the oyster’s mouth. Many metaphors:) So they were pulled from the garden and placed outside the wall.

It’s very interesting to me that Elisha, who is the prophet from God, provoked the siege, and the very thing or lepers that the people did not want to dwell within their walls were the catalysts in bringing relief of a devastating famine and ushered in the salvation of the entire city.

Only the Spirit of God could do this thing.

Also, it perhaps speaks of the Holy Spirit using the Prophet to bring judgment to something going on behind the wall, I’m not exactly sure about it but there seems to be judgment where a nation (or we as Christians) enter into a famine or a starvation mode insures. Also, another completely legitimate understanding which his more positive, is we must not forget that trials and tribulations test our faith and enable us to grow - comfortability does not allow for growth, it allows for recovery, which as you mentioned here, everyone needs a break sometimes. God comforts the afflicted and afflicts the comfortable, ha. Also, whatever the suffering, in the end with God, the reward will be great and generous.

God repeatedly uses the things we don’t want to face to change the direction of something terrible into a direction of life sustaining richness. Something like that. Sometimes it takes four lepers who had nothing else to lose to actually decide to face the monster and in doing so, changed not only their lives, but saved an entire city. There are many parallels in your work, now that I’m thinking about it, to this story. I mean, your foundation is of the Word, so that makes sense. Very few people help me to think through these stories like you do. Thank you for staying strong and committing your life to the things of God. I pray He brings you all the depths of meaning your heart has room to contain. All the best, Doctor.

[iamaliveyoucantstopnow]

As long as humans see things in black and white they will suffer!

I think collectively we view the world in a very polarised way:
Good-evil-
right-wrong-
positive feelings- negative feelings
etc etc.

When I see things as they just are - when i don't label things and just accept what is, my suffering ends.

People fight painful feelings their whole lives- feelings that could take five minutes to feel.

The key is to allow what is. It might be uncomfortable to feel such deep pain but the more I allow myself to feel it - the less power it has over me.

To 'alleviate suffering' you have to ACCEPT IT as part of life.

We are all going to die! Don't forget that! :)

[peterbloch-hansen]

Consider the terrain of the areas these stories come from - variations of semi-arid landscapes with strong, seasonal arid winds. Having the wealth to create an enclosed, private garden was not only a matter of pleasure but prestige. The wall is to provide privacy and exclusivity. There is nothing in Genesis about any wall - Eden there means the whole earth, in a garden-like state, ideal for life. The tree in the garden, the tree of life, represents mankind's capacity of self-consciousness, containing both the capacity for the life-giving work of tending and keeping, according to the design, or Word of God, and of imagining and then something something else, according one's own design - the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, or, desirability of undesirability. The subtle serpent is what the human intellect becomes when it presumes to act on it's own, according to self-centered motivations, contrary to the purpose for which it was designed. Use any tool in a way for which it was not designed and what happens? the tool is damaged and eventually destroyed. Mental-illness, anyone?

[junevandermark]

Thanks for honoring freedom of speech.

Religion ... "Stop sinning and offending God and suffering of humans will cease."

Science ... "Suffering is natural and as long as forms of life exist ... suffering will not cease.

[JulianHansen-lq]

Its about too complex gifts people fail to accomplish. It does causes some of the worst health and mental issues and sadly some of the best stay in a low suffocating life with these dilemmas in the psykiatry in addiction because maybe voodoo or other spiritual actually imo illigal enterfearance makes people crazy because we are extraordinary but voodoo or lets say also Christian based strongholds which may have to do with actual deliverance purposes is only the individual him or herself who really can break this endless cykle of suffering and mania. By choosing, and working on confidence and let the gifts vessel from a constructive place. Just choose. We cant please em all so stop overthinking without actualising or ever feeling at ease.


"If we are citizen of everywhere we are citizen of nowhere"

Maybe some of us are saints, fallen angels or crazy? Drinks too much coffee, did the bad weed for too long. Just choose and wreck and dont please. Be yourself. Make an effort.

[rafaelgonzalez]

You do understand the world wide web literally can remove and prevent human struggle?

[Aliveandkick]

If you think raccoons should be kept out of the garden, Jordan, you haven't met my Arches. She's an exemplar.

[catcat]

Didn't native Americans already have a relationship between chaos and the garden? I just think we have a lot of pyschopaths who act as super predators bc freedom+ money leaves capitalism unchecked fortunately and unfortunately

[MohamedHamd-sb]

you are thanke for your stopet women i have may waife iam are stopet Freeman iam Freeman med stopet world uote may family

[nejwapolosi]

Is long is money and power is controlling the world people are going to be miserable and mean evil 😢

[Yesica]

"Introduction to the Idea of God"

Oh, yeah? What "God" is that? It's not the biblical one. How do I know that? Because Jordan Peterson does not acknowledge Jesus Christ as God. He STILL has not bowed the knee. So why does he continue to talk about "God", when he continues to reject the original source documents that testify about God, which is the Bible?