The Oracle Chapter 3 (Pathos)

Suffering

(Talaiporía)

1. The Oracle defines suffering as an experience of intense unpleasantness and aversion, associated with the general perception of harm or the threat of harm to an individual. It is that suffering which we recognise as outweighing the bliss we otherwise enjoy.

2. Suffering is the fundamental element underlying the negative aspect of affective phenomena, and it causes apanthropinisation, which incapacitates our autexousious resolve. It is also a natural occurrence in life, experienced with an unwelcome tendency.

3. Its opposite is the state of pleasure or happiness; however, suffering is often categorised and recognised as a physical or mental state reflective of our character. Therefore, it must be said that we are judged by our actions and by our capacity to overcome the adversity inherent in suffering.

4. I identify five types of suffering: temporary, chronic, sporadic, eventual, and lethal. Suffering may manifest in all degrees of intensity. Factors such as duration and frequency of occurrence usually amplify the intensity. There is a sense of autotelism in suffering.

5. Attitudes towards suffering vary widely both in the sufferer and in others depending on whether it is viewed as avoidable or unavoidable, useful or useless, deserved or undeserved. Hedonism, as an ethical theory, maintains that good and bad consist ultimately in pleasure and pain, and that ethical action lies in the pursuit of pleasure.

6. Several hedonists, in alignment with Epicurus—and contrary to the popular perception of his teachings—advocate that we should first seek to avoid suffering. They hold that the greatest pleasure lies in a robust state of deep tranquillity, called ataraxia, which is free from the anxious pursuit or undesirable consequences of fleeting pleasures and vanitarianism.

7. Suffering is the culmination of the most dreadful human affliction imagined of our struggle and our probity—demonstrated in the state of undergoing pain, distress, or hardship that disrupts the harmony of mind, body, and soul.

8. We may attempt to debate the fundamental causes of suffering with cogent reasoning, but such arguments are limited by unfathomable presuppositions and consequential factors, often grounded in personal opinions or experiential insight.

9. Ultimately, what matters is not only the omission of the cause, but the failure to acknowledge the admission of the truth that is suffering. When we attempt to comprehend its meaning, we become aware of its ramifications. We must strive to be more conscious, rather than incogitant.

10. Suffering manifests in the multifaceted nature of our modus vivendi and bios, and appears ad infinitum. Socrates stated: "If you don't get what you want, you suffer; if you get what you don't want, you suffer; even when you get exactly what you want, you still suffer, because you can't hold on to it forever. Your mind is your predicament. It wants to be free of change and free of pain, free of the obligations of life and death—but change is law, and no amount of pretending will alter that reality."

11. It can resemble the horrendous guise of pain, sadness, monachopsis, encumbrance, anxiety, stress, depression or every unpropitious occurrence in life that resembles something far more surreptitious in nature that is merely the semblance of our suffering and velleity.

12. The degrees of suffering vary from mild to severe, and they may appear very physical, mental, or emotional to the mind, body, and soul. It is extremely important that we realise suffering has many names and is attached to many causes that are sciential.

13. Suffering does not necessarily distinguish, in either degree of its variability, because suffering is apathetic in its original form and essence exposed. When suffering ceases to exist, we often assume it has disappeared from the Earth or has simply vanished, never to return.

14. It can be at a sudden or gradual stage of imbalance that becomes reconciliatory in its vacuity and epicaricacious nature. It is wise to take strong consideration of the fact that we may be suffering within our inner self.

15. To be mindful of its existence is to be prepared for its uncertain nature, throughout the continual plight of our expressed struggle. To express pain is to suffer. To express anguish is to suffer. To express depression is to suffer. To express nothing is not normal.

16. It is an unfortunate circumstance that the world is plagued by the achromatic gloom of suffering and imbonity. We appear to have lost the essence of humanity within us, and that humanity should be something we cherish. Suffering is not asomatous.

17. Whether we acknowledge its existential reality is a matter of our perceived interpretation and recognition that we must contend with its reality. We may believe we suffer unwillingly or believe we suffer knowingly.

18. Humanity, through the seed of vile corruption, has forsaken the need to rid the world of this agonous state of enforced depravity. Our world has become increasingly materialistic, shunning the hopeless guises of suffering and becoming less receptive to happiness.

19. One thing we must accept is the fact that its consequence is lethiferous and cruel. It is no fallacy to be presupposed or conjured, for no one desires to suffer willingly and be ostracised by society. Those who do suffer willingly are the individuals who have accepted their course of life.

20. Suffering manifests in several forms such that we have become accustomed to its unwanted presence; it is the transparent avatar of human despair. A vicissitudinary despair that leads us to realise the soul, and how it interacts with the mind and body.

21. The unusual composition of its nature has perplexed the minds of philosophers for decades and led them to theorise about its cause and effect. However, we have been unable to identify its origin precisely, except that it stems from the circumstances of life.

22. We have been taught that suffering is the original root of our misery, yet we have not understood what induces it. There is so much about suffering that we need to understand and avoid. We cannot fear suffering, nor can we dismiss its reality.

23. From the clear induction surmised, it is an evident sign of discomfort and distress of the mind, body, and soul at their worst state of being. It is the appalling wretchedness many must endure in life, which is the unnecessary struggle.

24. Hitherto, the direct relationship between the mind, body, and soul has always been attached to the ongoing plight of human suffering. It is this singular plight that causes us to ponder its existence and its effects. Once we accept that suffering is inevitable, we may then proceed to live our lives.

25. We can examine the initial processes that cause it and reach the intuitive conclusion that it is a natural sequence of episodes defined or undefined, but ultimately, we must acknowledge its existential nature. This is sufficient to inform us that people suffer in the world.

26. The Oracle accentuates the concept of suffering within pathos, and how it can ultimately viliorate the body, mind, and soul unwillingly. The key to understanding suffering lies in the notion we apply to its cause. How we react to suffering depends on who is suffering.

27. The obvious characteristics of pathos are conceived in the blind aversion to emotional crisis, experienced through harsh circumstances. It is within these difficult moments that we learn the lessons which define and illustrate our character.

28. The actual perception of suffering can be applied to the tangibility of our common sense and humanity. It is for society to fully understand suffering and for society to seek solutions. Too many suffer for the world to remain indifferent.

29. This logic is accessible through an analysis of our perception of its constatation and presentation. The Oracle recognises the subject of suffering and what it represents in the most abject despair. Philosophy teaches us to understand suffering.

30. There are different levels of suffering, and each one addresses the ampliative degree of its varied exposure. Suffering is known to be present in every aspect of life, and it is the one affliction we cannot easily eradicate.

31. All these levels are experienced in one form or another, evolving in essence and logic within their conceptual framework. Suffering is produced when we are at our most fragile state of mind; something we fail to understand in terms of its gravity.

32. At times, we may be unaware of the distinction between one level and another, based on how it is represented or understood. There can be no reward for suffering, except the acceptance that it will, in time, abate.

33. We must contend with the uncertain reality: what does suffering resemble and what does it mean to our lives and others’? If we are meant to suffer, then we must comprehend why we suffer in the first place, which is a question we seldom answer.

34. Plato once said, “A state arises, as I conceive, out of the needs of mankind; no one is self-sufficing, but all of us have many wants.” Curiously, it is the human body, mind, and soul that we contemplate when discussing suffering. If the mind suffers, the body suffers. If the body suffers, the soul suffers.

35. Were we to comply with that notion, then society would be constructed upon the principle of bettering the state of the mind, body, and soul along with our eunoia. Nothing could be more refreshing than the unity of these states of existence.

36. To determine the factors that contribute to suffering, we must gain sufficient understanding of its broad definition and limitations. It is not an easy thing to summarise when there is still so much we do not fully comprehend.

37. Herein lies the decisive point of the argument, putative in its icasm. Suffering must never be misunderstood when we already know enough to determine its path and terrible effects. It is precisely these effects that inform us of life’s intricacies and dysphoric challenges.

38. There is no indubitable thought that could dismiss the relevance of suffering and the need to be conscious of its effects on the thymotic nature of the soul. When we are aware of the horrors of suffering, we become more aware of the horrors of living.

39. Nothing equals the infandous state of universal suffering, witnessed under the philosophical notion of humanity. It is the cruel depiction of our darkest nightmares made real by suffering.

40. The question remains, does humanity reflect universal suffering, or has it become so apathetic that it bears no resemblance to sufferance at all? If so, then humanity is progressing down a heartless path that shall not end with suffering alone.

41. Perhaps the concept of human hardship cannot be entirely interpreted as the apparent demonstration of our present reality. When we are experiencing things that make us suffer, we are cognisant of the profundity of its pain and anguish; yet there are people who suffer more than others. Those who suffer less are the ones in whom we see the expression of their pain less frequently.

42. Suffering is the reason we attribute significance to the worst periods of our lives and our capacity to overcome their difficulty. Verily, it is sad to know that some people suffer alone, even though our world is vast and densely populated.

43. When we are sad, we suffer. When we are in agony, we suffer. When we are unstable, we suffer. Suffering is a realistic condition that is existential and harsh by nature. It rarely offers us a truce, nor does it provide much hope in life.

44. Suffering is the constancy of a nepenthean uncertainty for which we struggle to find a logical solution, as we resist the undeniable force it presents. This is why we must accept that suffering is a part of human nature.

45. We either subscribe to the notion that we are no better off than in the past, or we find ourselves unable to adhere to the logic of such a consideration. Thus, it is wise to prepare ourselves for suffering, as it does not discriminate in its selection.

46. Could we not concur with the possibility that we must examine, with diligence, the horrendous finality of suffering in order to eradicate its brutal existence? Is it not feasible that one day we might accomplish this arduous task? If so, it would require the collective will of humanity.

47. The time we would devote to that endeavour would be timeless, because it would require an implausibility to occur beforehand. Nevertheless, it remains a worthy pursuit, and what is plausible is that we possess the capacity to do something meaningful.

48. The world is replete with incredible cases of human suffering, the full impact of which we cannot immediately perceive, but we can acknowledge its tangible presence. There are people in this world who demonstrate suffering daily, and there are those who choose to ignore it.

49. No human being willingly desires to live in wretchedness or to be stricken by the bane of suffering and its dreadful outcomes. Likewise, no human being should desire that others suffer unnecessarily.

50. To suffer is a horrendous consequence; to suffer alone is even worse. It is to be haunted by an unrelenting phantasmagoria that we call suffering. To what extent must we assume responsibility for the causes of human suffering?

51. The ineffable nightmare that is suffering may then culminate in an inscrutable truth of regression and reality that we often choose to ignore. It is easier to disregard our reality when it is overbearing than it is to accept its presence.

52. It is the procrastination of this truth that we must confront, despite having no guarantee of resolution. Ergo, the truth remains that suffering is a daily occurrence and cannot be dismissed or deemed irrelevant.

53. We may attempt to apply countless theories to the connotation of suffering. Its nature is relatively definite. Suffering does not require our interpretations in order to exist, but to understand it, we attach descriptions to its nature.

54. All philosophy deals with the cause and effect of imminent problems or situations while striving to sophronise us through the insights evoked. It is fundamental that we seek to rationalise such matters through philosophy.

55. The urgent notion that my frequent pain is greater than another's is invalid, as suffering is not measured solely by outward demonstrations of affliction. Thus, it is important to understand that suffering encompasses the mind, the body, and the soul.

56. The Oracle offers the perspective that we receive as much as we give, depending on the complexity and duration involved. Suffering is the worst of all perceptions. We should learn to give abundantly, that we might receive life’s true rewards. In other words, it is better to act with benevolence.

57. Hence, we become the immediate recipients of a dreadful cycle that is repetitive and indifferent to its cause, because suffering requires no reason other than itself. It is exactly what it presents itself to be.

58. From the profound chasm of suffering, the concept of respite is then conceptualised, within a mitigated state of abeyance. There are intervals when suffering is more severe and others when it is more bearable. But we should not delude ourselves into believing suffering is reserved for the weak.

59. Time shall reveal the answers to our questions, as we begin to perceive the magnitude of our suffering. Why does it recur? At times, we feel that suffering is interminable and boundless. But we must remember that it has limitations defined by our own resolve and acceptance.

60. Philosophy suggests that it is our awareness that is conscious or unconscious of suffering’s elusive significance that determines how we value or devalue its meaning.

61. Tribulation is perhaps the worst form of human suffering, one that is unbearable to accept as factual. Yet it forces us to confront the world we inhabit and the people with whom we share it.

62. We often experience suffering vicariously, as we seek the wonders of aponia. Nothing is more vivid in this world than suffering. The attainment of aponia is possible through the enlightenment of the mind and the acceptance of suffering. There is no need to allow it to overwhelm our mind, body, and soul with negativity.

63. We equate suffering with an unmatched burden or qualm that unsettles our peace. We must learn that to suffer is part of being human, but it need not define our essence. We must be prepared for its arrival.

64. Its symptoms are synonymous with immeasurable mental or physical hardship and fatigue conditions no one deems natural. When we detect suffering, we should not dismiss it through ignorance, but instead use our intellect to understand its cause.

65. The Oracle attempts to acknowledge suffering within the boundaries of its intricate and unfortunate nature witnessed across the globe. Suffering reflects our human condition in need. It is a reality too often misunderstood.

66. Philosophy teaches us that suffering is a cruel condition inherent to human experience, and that it is our duty to seek amelioration. What we must learn, according to philosophy, is that much remains to be understood about its immensity.

67. Since the inception of humankind, suffering has troubled our minds in an inhibitory fashion, making reconciliation with hope elusive. This is why we lose hope amidst adversity. The causes of suffering are manifold, and its effects torment us with uncertainty. We suffer not because we are destined to, but because we are born into it.

68. In our essential quest to eradicate suffering, we must first strive to comprehend its nature. We must balance the mind, body, and soul in order to expand our perception and understanding of suffering.

69. Certain phenomena in life precede the simplicity of their consequences. These we can perceive and interpret. Once we understand their causes, we can associate our sentience with our suffering. Humanity has failed to truly grasp the implications of human suffering and destruction. If we cannot understand suffering, how are we to understand its causes?

70. Therefore, to accept the philosophical premise of suffering, we must first recognise that it carries a universal message of deep significance, worthy of our respect.

71. This is the quandary that has, for some time now, obfuscated our minds and provoked the troubling question: how do we resolve suffering? For centuries, people have suffered, and for centuries we have regarded suffering as abhorrent when in truth, it is natural.

72. Our society rarely reflects on the growing plight of the less fortunate and their need for eudaimonic experiences. These needs are often neglected in discussions on suffering.

73. Were we to summarise the nature of suffering, we would see that the eternal plight of its victims is intricately entwined with humanity’s history and its pollution. We have forsaken those we deem insignificant, casting them into the depths of despair.

74. Philosophy highlights the importance of learning from our mistakes and adapting our less conventional thoughts. Philosophy cannot eradicate the suffering of the world; it is merely the vehicle for understanding and applying potential solutions.

75. It is indeed incumbent upon us to explore the vast boundaries of the human mind, body, and soul, regarding their capacity for endurance. There are limits the body cannot reach alone; they require the strength of the mind.

76. When faced with great adversity and anguish, the body often reacts with sudden trepidation. It is the mind that must soothe the body’s suffering and calm the soul’s uncertainty. This is a natural process beyond our habitual constraints.

77. Signs of apprehension are frequent and troubling. While there is much blame to assign to others, it is ultimately humanity that must assume responsibility. We must not forget that we are mortals bound by the limitations of the physical world.

78. Thus, the distinction we make is not worsened by our opinions or uncertainties, but informed by our careful perceptions and interpretations.

79. How much suffering is sufficient to elicit condemnation from the world? When will we learn not just to cope, but to truly overcome suffering and its many forms? This is a question we must answer with wisdom.

80. Once we discover the origin of suffering’s cause, we can apply remedies without needless discord. Understanding its origin allows us to distinguish between suffering we can bear and suffering we cannot.

81. What should be clearly stated is that suffering is often misconstrued and misinterpreted. Despite this, we must strive to comprehend its true essence and nature.

82. No one chooses to suffer, unless torment is tied to mental, emotional, or physical instability. There are people who yearn for eleutheromania. When the mind is unstable, the body and soul become unstable as well.

83. If we express the notion that it is humane to be human, then we must also accept that it is far worse to be forsaken or forgotten. No one deserves suffering, and no one undeserving of suffering should be made to endure it.

84. There are those who commit evil acts and merit a form of suffering. This aligns more with the concept of intentional suffering than the philosophical suffering conveyed by the Oracle. The ineffable nature of pain and deprivation lies in its complexity and consequence.

85. There is a faint trace of reason in our awareness that becomes evident in the decisions we make. Suffering, beyond doubt is existential.

86. To explain suffering in simple terms is possible, if we accept the reasonable idea that suffering is a conflicting element inherent in the soul. It is the soul that recognises suffering.

87. The emotions and thoughts we express are visibly connected to our minds when we are conscious of their relevance. When we are unconscious of them, we become indifferent to the suffering of others.

88. These expressions relate to the ontological nature of our mind, body, and soul. They face anguish and despair daily and must cope with suffering as an unavoidable reality.

89. Suffering is undeniably, the most challenging form of pathos often arising unannounced, amidst fleeting thoughts. People sometimes suffer when they least expect to. That is when we are truly tested.

90. The purpose of suffering haunts us horrendously, but it is a certain disquietude that surpasses any sentimental scenario. It is also a negative valence of affective phenomena that we process with our mind and react to with our soul. It can be indissoluble.

91. Whether we ignore its true existence due to our desipience is a matter of selective apathy and lack of consciousness. It is not that we are unaware of the plight of others, but that we do not care about the suffering of those individuals.

92. We could generalise the entire concept of suffering, and still be unable to explain its inusitate boundaries and limits per se, in words sufficiently expressive to be understood as practical. Their meaning would be futile if we did not understand the cause of suffering.

93. The emotional and laden distress it causes is defined by the degree of severity and hypostasis we are willing to admit. Our emotions, when affected and tumultuous, are powerful enough to disrupt our mental faculties and physical state, leading to abulia.

94. Philosophy does not attempt to specify the distinction made by the science of psychology with an unfounded apophansis, as that would imply one is more elaborate than the other forms of observation. Rather, it attempts to explain the concept of suffering.

95. The Oracle is an independent instrumentality for acknowledging the genuine relation amongst its existing principles. There is nothing more relatable to the mind, body, and soul than suffering. It is in suffering that we realise we are meant to suffer.

96. As beings of reasonable inclination, we may present the guise of rational thinkers, but this does not reflect the veracity of that signification. The mere possession of thoughts does not exclude the possibility that we may succumb to suffering.

97. What we contemplate is not the abstract notion of suffering, constant and spreading like wildfire, but rather its factual composition as it manifests within the world. There is a sea of suffering that drowns us in quotidian despair and guiltroversion.

98. Our unique sentiments of anguish exist within the perspective that enlightens our image and perception of suffering, and our need to free ourselves from its oppressive manacles. Some are able to liberate themselves, while others are less fortunate.

99. Why we suffer remains an inexplicable mystery, a repetitive cycle that we cannot eschew or attempt to rationalise with mere simplicity. It is a question to which we may offer an intellectual discourse, guided by the expression of meliorism.

100. There is no guarantee that, by alleviating our suffering, we shall suffer less in life. Perhaps the answer to our suffering could be discovered, knowingly, within the discernible trait that is our human equilibrium.

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