ABSTRACT
This chapter explores the various nuances of suffering rather than casting it off as something to be avoided from the outset. It describes the shift in perspective by examining, from a psychological standpoint, the specific ways in which suffering can add value to the own lives and the lives of others. The chapter suggests that beyond simply being an additional source of value, from a psychological standpoint, suffering is itself a necessary experience in order that people can experience its opposite – pleasure, satisfaction, and meaning in life. Suffering plays an important role in contributing to the good life, and the notion that by eradicating it completely we would be better off misses the role it plays in promoting pleasure, meaning, and wellbeing broadly understood. The experience of suffering is frequently attributed with meaning. People may ask the question of why they are suffering or what it means that they suffer.
