Suffering is like gas

A casual chat with a friend led to a discussion on sufferings and we ended up with a conversation around the book — Man’s search for meaning

One of the quotes that left an impact on my friend was the analogy of “Suffering” with the spread of a “gas”. He shared an example from the book that led me to accept how much sense it made.

Suffering is like gas in a gas chamber. No matter how much, or little gas you put in, it fills the room. Suffering, no matter how much or little is put into the consciousness, fills it completely.

Viktor E. Frankl

The book is written by an Auschwitz survivor Dr.Viktor E. Frankl. He pens downed his days at the camps, surviving one of the most brutal acts ever known to humans. This incident dates back to World War II when Jews in Europe were forced under these concentration camps by Nazi Germany. In the post-war world, Dr.Viktor shared with us his learnings on neurology and philosophy.

I haven’t read the book but I have known about Dr.Viktor through his work on logotherapy – an inclusive way to find motivation through the purpose of one’s life.

We often compare our sufferings and pain with that others. However, this is not correct. As Dr.Viktor says, “size” of suffering is completely relative. There is nothing small or nothing big. Every suffering and pain make a different impact on an individual. However, I believe, we can try everything possible to alleviate the surroundings and make them feel better, happy and smile. Even the slightest of good-will gesture makes us share the suffering.

Dr.Viktor writes in his book

Once, an elderly general practitioner consulted me because of his severe depression. He could not overcome the loss of his wife who had died two years before and whom he had loved above all else. Now, how can I help him? What should I tell him? Well, I refrained from telling him anything but instead confronted him with the question, “What would have happened, Doctor, if you had died first, and your wife would have had to survive you?” “Oh,” he said, “for her this would have been terrible; how she would have suffered!” Whereupon I replied, “You see, Doctor, such a suffering has been spared her, and it was you who have spared her this suffering — to be sure, at the price that now you have to survive and mourn her.” He said no word but shook my hand and calmly left my office. In some way, suffering ceases to be suffering at the moment it finds a meaning, such as the meaning of a sacrifice.

The pandemic has not been kind to many. We lost many, others suffered. We pray for all.

Personally, these teachings have uplifted me throughout. I am happy that I am going strong to support, help for everyone who is not.

(Based on thoughts and conversations with Neil Mathew)