Sometimes it takes a profoundly beautiful sentiment to explain something that logic falls a bit flat on. That’s why poetry is so potent, and so necessary.
In this case, author Pico Iyer takes on suffering. He calls his op-ed “The Value of Suffering” but really his article dives into the uncertain beauty that suffering can provide. In this case, beauty certainty equals truth, or as Pico wants to put, value.
Iyer goes over some anecdotes — powerful ones, no doubt — Japanese Zen Buddhists, the Dalai Lama, a friend who suffered through cancer — but he also makes larger notes on what it means to dive into the misunderstanding inherent in suffering. He ends on a note that reminds us that the path through suffering can often be much like other deep emotions, and, as such, the exploration and diving into can be worthwhile and, then, valuable.
Great read.
ericryangrant.com 