It’s built in. Even attempts to avoid suffering only last a short while, and this is actually a good thing. It turns out that when there is little to no suffering, when someone is coddled, sheltered, or treated as overly special (I’m not counting the occasional birthday party), that they are deprived of building in character traits like patience, endurance, humility, not to mention critical thinking skills.
If discipline, to include pushing exercise and restricting food intake, are not established early in life, then it becomes much more difficult to recover later on both health and the important life skills a child will need to live responsibility in adulthood.
I am so grateful for every tough coach and teacher I had. I may not have liked them at the time but they played mature adult roles to my childish behavior and I am better for it.
Discipline and punishment, when appropriate, are good things. What is a bad thing is not teaching people to resist the temptation to blame others in order to get oneself off the hook.
Taking the punishment like a real man or woman is considered by many foolishness today. And yet learning and then demonstrating that you know how to accept responsibility sets you up later for leadership positions. This is because people who know how to stoically suffer as part of handling responsibility will learn to make better decisions for themselves and those they lead. They won’t cut and run at the first signs of trouble. They know what it takes to suffer on all levels: spiritually, emotionally, mentally, and physically, and then come back out on top, ready for the next challenge.
Sadly if I tried to do the jobs of those who were my coaches and teachers today in the same manner they did back then, I would probably last less than one semester. I’m afraid this is becoming true of the military as well. Lord, help us all when our military and first responders go soft.
Conclusions: Suffering in general has taken a bad rap. It needs to be experienced in a variety ways growing up and it is useful in teaching an amazing array of disciplines for those who are destined to lead and influence others in good ways for society.
Because suffering hurts and it can be the result of abuse, today’s parents and teachers are afraid to discipline those under their care.
If I have to suffer to become a better human being then so be it.
When people go soft, life gets hard. When life gets hard people either give up or toughen. When people are tough, the quality of life improves. When the quality of life is comfortable from the hard work of tough strong people, it encourages following generations to enjoy life, take it easy, and grow soft, until life gets hard once again. Where do think we are right now in this cycle?
https://www.prageru.com/video/building-resilience-5-ways-to-a-better-life
Our society has developed a huge disconnect in understanding the difference between constructive discipline and actual abuse. Discipline develops character and at its root is caring. Its absence is destructive.
“because the Lord disciplines those he loves, as a father the son he delights in.”
Proverbs 3:12