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Two kinds of pain?

Deidre

Well-Known Member
In the Netflix series, House of Cards, there is a line uttered in the opening of Season 1, ''there are two kinds of pain: pain that makes you strong, and pain that only serves to make you suffer. A useless kind of pain.''

Do you agree that there are two kinds of pain? Can pain be helpful for our growth?
 

74x12

Well-Known Member
In the Netflix series, House of Cards, there is a line uttered in the opening of Season 1, ''there are two kinds of pain: pain that makes you strong, and pain that only serves to make you suffer. A useless kind of pain.''

Do you agree that there are two kinds of pain? Can pain be helpful for our growth?
Yes ... satan is real and intends pain to steal, kill and destroy. But if you want to you can view it differently and with God's help you'll find that it can help you grow somehow. Even though your loss is great; somewhere you win something so it wasn't all bad. And maybe you'll need that thing in the future.
 

74x12

Well-Known Member
Marcus Aurelius said "the impediment to action advances action, what stands in the way becomes the way"
Another stoic said "when anything bad happens to you don't say this is misfortune, but rather say to bear this worthily is good fortune"
 

lewisnotmiller

Grand Hat
Staff member
Premium Member
In the Netflix series, House of Cards, there is a line uttered in the opening of Season 1, ''there are two kinds of pain: pain that makes you strong, and pain that only serves to make you suffer. A useless kind of pain.''

Do you agree that there are two kinds of pain? Can pain be helpful for our growth?

I wouldn't draw the line as cleanly as that, but pain teaches us. The lesson may be helpful or a hindrance, but most often I would say there are elements of both. Whether the lesson has utility may depend entirely on the context, and how well we've understood the context.
 

PoetPhilosopher

Veteran Member
I see one kind of pain but to varying degrees - pain hurts. It may have the after effect of making us strong, but one couldn't always predict that. If it traumatizes, it may weaken us.
 

SigurdReginson

Grēne Mann
Premium Member
I bashed my arm up pretty badly and will one day lose function of it. Until then, it's working ok. The lesson that I internalized from the experience was that all things come to an end sooner or later. Make the best of what you can while you can make the best of it.

Someone with a different mindset or epistemological toolset than me would draw a different conclusion from that experience. The pain is neutral. It's the person who gives the experience it's meaning, IMO.
 
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sun rise

The world is on fire
Premium Member
Do you agree that there are two kinds of pain? Can pain be helpful for our growth?

Yes and yes.

There's unnecessary pain which serves no purpose and the kind of pain that helps growth.

The former is, for example, like having a toothache but not seeing a dentist who can fix the problem. The later is like a dancer or Olympic gymnast who suffers pain that comes with the effort at getting better. The dancer who has a splendid performance or the gymnast who wins a gold metal can look back at the pain and feel it was worth it to get to the goal.
 

Gargovic Malkav

Well-Known Member
In the Netflix series, House of Cards, there is a line uttered in the opening of Season 1, ''there are two kinds of pain: pain that makes you strong, and pain that only serves to make you suffer. A useless kind of pain.''

Do you agree that there are two kinds of pain? Can pain be helpful for our growth?

If I had never experienced pain myself, I may cause others a lot of pain without caring or even knowing about it.
But pain can also embitter and harden the soul.
Especially when one is quick to pity themselves or try to carry more responsibility than is manageable.
 

Shadow Wolf

Certified People sTabber
In the Netflix series, House of Cards, there is a line uttered in the opening of Season 1, ''there are two kinds of pain: pain that makes you strong, and pain that only serves to make you suffer. A useless kind of pain.''

Do you agree that there are two kinds of pain? Can pain be helpful for our growth?
Yes and no. Its a very black and white view, amd given the character of Frank it is a statement deeply rooted in a high Mach worldview. Basically he's right. There's pain that makes you strong amd gets you places amd doing thingd, and then theres just pain, pain that hurts and aches and only makes you suffer. But that's very simplistic. These two can overlap, and with somethings it won't make you stronger but isn't necessarily useless (such as grieving).
 

stvdv

Veteran Member: I Share (not Debate) my POV
Do you agree that there are two kinds of pain? Can pain be helpful for our growth?
YES

When I am in pain and no one can help me, I cry out to God for help. So it is helpful to spiritual growth for me
When I went to the dentist, I always planned to take good care of my teeth, so next time no painful treatment
 

PureX

Veteran Member
There are several kinds of pain, but whether or not they can make us stronger is up to us.
 

SalixIncendium

अग्निविलोवनन्दः
Staff member
Premium Member
Do you agree that there are two kinds of pain? Can pain be helpful for our growth?

Not necessarily two kinds of pain, but there is pain and there is suffering.

Buddhists call it the two arrows. The first arrow is pain. The second is suffering.

When one is struck by the first arrow, one experiences pain. That is inevitable. Whether it be physical pain or emotional pain, the pain will be there, and one hopefully learns from the experience and becomes "stronger."

The suffering is optional. One can move out of the way of the second arrow and avoid being struck again. The second arrow, in essence, represents how one reacts to being struck by the first arrow. Sorrow, worry, anger, blaming oneself (or another) is the suffering represented by the second arrow.

One will inevitably experience pain, but the suffering is optional, or as noted in the "House of Cards" quote, unnecessary.
 
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stvdv

Veteran Member: I Share (not Debate) my POV
Not necessarily two kinds of pain, but there is pain and there is suffering.
Buddhists call it the two arrows. The first arrow is pain. The second is suffering.

When one is struck by the first arrow, one experiences pain. That is inevitable. Whether it be physical pain or emotional pain, the pain will be there, and one hopefully learns from the experience and becomes "stronger."

The suffering is optional. One can move out of the way of the second arrow and avoid being struck again. The second arrow, in essence, represents how one reacts to being struck by the first arrow. Sorrow, worry, anger, blaming oneself (or another) is the suffering represented by the second arrow.
One will inevitably experience pain, but the suffering is optional, or as noted in the "House of Cards" quote, unnecessary.
Thank you for sharing, always good to read such useful quotes which keep us sharp and well equipped for the day

Greek and Roman stoic philosophers also shared such wisdom, I just saw a few days ago
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