The Healthy Management of Reality - Stanford University

are what I mean by necessary suffering. They are part of the way that we areconstructed. If our body is in good working order, some events will result infeelings of discomfort or pain.In my work as a psychologist I have been able to see many examples of howin addition to these types of necessary suffering we, human beings, add additionalsuffering which is really not necessary. For example, when someone has anillness, it is possible to react to it in more than one way. Let’s say that person (A)and person (B) both have the same severity of an illness, let’s say diabetes.Person (A) decides that diabetes is an unbearable tragedy, one that will keep himfrom living a full life. He develops resentment that envelops his being and colorshis experiences from that moment on by labeling himself as somebody who isseverely limited in what he can do. He refrains from doing things that could bringhim pleasure. So, in addition to the illness and the objective effect that the illnesshas on him, he adds his perception of the illness to his definition of himself and hislife, what he can and cannot do, what he can and cannot enjoy. Person (B) on theother hand, says: I am obviously not happy that I have developed diabetes, but I amgoing to try to limit its effect on my life as much as I can, and try to live as full alife as possible. If we think of these elements of suffering in terms of numbers, wecan say that, because of the diabetes, person (A) has a hundred points of sufferingthat those of us who do not have diabetes do not have. Person (B) also has ahundred points of this type of suffering, which I will call the necessary type.(What I mean here is for example, that they have to give themselves insulininjections each day, and be careful about the kinds of foods they eat). Now, person(A) in addition to those hundred points, may add another 100 points which are theresult of the resentment that he feels, the results of limiting himself and not doingthings that may have given him more pleasure. Person (B) adds no additionalHMOR.July2005.Muñoz.doc 38