The inevitable suffering of human life takes on a vastly different meaning in a culture that values pleasure and convenience above all else. In some spiritual traditions, the suffering of life is a necessary prerequisite for spiritual elevation; in others, our suffering is necessary to repay our past sins or karma.
When the suffering of life has no meaning, however, and is seen as nothing more than a contradiction to the promises we’ve heard over television and the internet—that we should all have what we want, when we want it, and enjoy every minute of whatever it is—then we can’t help but feel our suffering is inherently unjust. Yet, the more we expect life to be easy and entertaining, the less we are able to accept and navigate the constant unease that is the actual truth of the human condition….