The Positives of Pain

by Reuben Chow

Are you in some sort of pain, whether mental, emotional, or physical?

Do you like the pain? I doubt so, as most of us detest pain. Pain is usually associated with suffering, while freedom or heaven is normally thought of as a pain-free state.

But pain does have a role to play.

What’s so good about pain, then?

First and foremost, pain signals to us that something is wrong. Can you imagine if you felt no pain? Your backside could be on fire and you wouldn’t know it. Your arm could be being sawn off in an accident and you would have no idea too. A man could be bleeding to death and he would have no clue. Chronic illnesses could be brewing in the body and a woman would have no warning signs – until the diseases finally take her life.

That’s just physical pain. How about emotional pain?

This type of pain, too, points out to us that things aren’t quite right and life needs a little adjustment. It could be signals, for example, of unhealthy or even failing relationships. It could also be symptoms of unresolved emotional issues, such as grief, trauma, depression, etc.

Pain also helps us put things in perspective, and to appreciate and enjoy what we usually have. Have you ever sprained an ankle or twisted your knee, and it hurt so bad that you couldn’t walk for days or weeks? It’s usually only in such circumstances that you begin to appreciate your ability to walk freely on a daily basis, when normally that capacity is just taken for granted.

Think of your head, your stomach, your kidneys, or even your little toes. Do you know that they are there, doing their part on a daily basis to help you function normally as a person? Usually, we won’t even think about the various parts of our body – unless there is a place which is in pain.

Pain gives us some perspective. And after lingering feelings of pain go away, suddenly there is freedom of spirit and fleetness of foot.

The whole process of pain and healing is also deeply connected with growth. One example is the lifting of weights in the gym. If you are lifting weights which you could easily handle, you wouldn’t really feel any strain, and it would be rather easy; but the problem then is that your muscles would not grow.

On the other hand, if you are lifting heavier weights, you’re going to struggle, you’re going to grunt, you’re going to have to push, and you’re going to experience some pain. From a physiological standpoint, in order for your muscles to get bigger, they literally have to break and then heal.

Using this gym-and-muscle analogy, we can see that pain often breaks us, but after we heal, we become stronger and better persons. That’s personal growth, self growth, personal development, or whatever we can call it.

Of course, after all is said and done, the fact remains that very few of us actually like pain. That’s normal. But it would be useful to realize that pain has its useful and positive side, too.

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