The glorification of suffering/pain and the demonization of pleasure/enjoyment is one of the most insidious and damaging lies Christianity has spread. If you believe suffering is good, you will do nothing to eradicate it. If you believe pleasure is bad, you will do everything to eradicate it.
“It literally does not matter which particular choice you, specifically, make, only that you do something and keep at it at the pace that is sustainable for you, recognizing that literally millions of other people are all around you doing their tiny part too.”
This has been REALLY helpfull to read. As a former christian, I strugle a lot with pleasure guilt and glorification of suffering. And also, the decision parallysis is SO REAL.
Thank you for this. It really helped me. I lived the first 30 some years of my life in conservative circles, so I’m still relatively new to a lot of leftist ideas, and of course the last few years have really amped up the discourse on all these topics. I’ve found it hard to navigate my own mental and physical health struggles, while also wanting to be there for others. This has given me a lot of food for thought. Also, I am in hearty agreement to the issue of people making suffering seem more noble than anything else. It takes a great deal of unlearning to step outside that narrative. I actually just wrote about that recently too. It’s such a pervasive idea in our society, and I think it’s incredibly harmful. Thanks again for this well thought out piece.
Thank you so much for sharing this post. I'm still recovering from a job in the progressive space that both felt like a cult and burned me out. Though it was never outright stated, my former employer strongly believed that "suffering is moralized" and that in order to be a good employee and be a good person in the movement you had to give it your all and then some. Thank you for the reminder that taking care of each other and being in community and showing up in "small" ways are also forms of resistance.
You might enjoy reading The Revolution Will Not Be Funded! It sounds like you worked in a nonprofit or similar org with a lot of the institutional problems that book explores.
I didn't know I needed these words, but they appeared in front of my eyes and now they are in my brain and they are exactly what I needed as solstice arrives with us here. I'd woken up realising I couldn't do something I'd said I'd do today, work connected with art, community and helping others, because I'm ill and tired. The guilt was strong. But how can I be effective in my community if I don't take time to rest, to reflect and marshal my resources? As my friend (who I was going to work with today, and who totally gets this already as someone dealing with chronic illness, but as a thoughtful, caring human) said in response: "rest is resistance!"
This whole post was so full of helpful perspective. I’m saving it to revisit after I move soon, to refresh my ideas about how to be involved in a new community with a true COMMUNITY mindset. Thank you for writing.
Refreshing essay. I have quit most social medias and can’t stomach the news since I’ve had children due to my emotional sensitivity. I empathize with the people around the world suffering and try to do what I can to help but I tend to get depressed when I get sucked into the relentless feed of disaster and dystopia on the news or on Instagram. My latest tactic is exactly as you said: supporting my local community and my loved ones and being kind and generous and raising kind, social, responsible little people who will be great community members themselves one day. Thanks for putting this essay together and advocating for activism on all scales!
The glorification of suffering/pain and the demonization of pleasure/enjoyment is one of the most insidious and damaging lies Christianity has spread. If you believe suffering is good, you will do nothing to eradicate it. If you believe pleasure is bad, you will do everything to eradicate it.
“It literally does not matter which particular choice you, specifically, make, only that you do something and keep at it at the pace that is sustainable for you, recognizing that literally millions of other people are all around you doing their tiny part too.”
THANK YOU.
This has been REALLY helpfull to read. As a former christian, I strugle a lot with pleasure guilt and glorification of suffering. And also, the decision parallysis is SO REAL.
Thank you for this. It really helped me. I lived the first 30 some years of my life in conservative circles, so I’m still relatively new to a lot of leftist ideas, and of course the last few years have really amped up the discourse on all these topics. I’ve found it hard to navigate my own mental and physical health struggles, while also wanting to be there for others. This has given me a lot of food for thought. Also, I am in hearty agreement to the issue of people making suffering seem more noble than anything else. It takes a great deal of unlearning to step outside that narrative. I actually just wrote about that recently too. It’s such a pervasive idea in our society, and I think it’s incredibly harmful. Thanks again for this well thought out piece.
Thank you so much for sharing this post. I'm still recovering from a job in the progressive space that both felt like a cult and burned me out. Though it was never outright stated, my former employer strongly believed that "suffering is moralized" and that in order to be a good employee and be a good person in the movement you had to give it your all and then some. Thank you for the reminder that taking care of each other and being in community and showing up in "small" ways are also forms of resistance.
You might enjoy reading The Revolution Will Not Be Funded! It sounds like you worked in a nonprofit or similar org with a lot of the institutional problems that book explores.
this was excellent and much needed for me, thank you ❣️
Philosopher? Sage? Whatever you are, it’s the real deal.
I didn't know I needed these words, but they appeared in front of my eyes and now they are in my brain and they are exactly what I needed as solstice arrives with us here. I'd woken up realising I couldn't do something I'd said I'd do today, work connected with art, community and helping others, because I'm ill and tired. The guilt was strong. But how can I be effective in my community if I don't take time to rest, to reflect and marshal my resources? As my friend (who I was going to work with today, and who totally gets this already as someone dealing with chronic illness, but as a thoughtful, caring human) said in response: "rest is resistance!"
This was so good I’m bringing it to therapy
This whole post was so full of helpful perspective. I’m saving it to revisit after I move soon, to refresh my ideas about how to be involved in a new community with a true COMMUNITY mindset. Thank you for writing.
Refreshing essay. I have quit most social medias and can’t stomach the news since I’ve had children due to my emotional sensitivity. I empathize with the people around the world suffering and try to do what I can to help but I tend to get depressed when I get sucked into the relentless feed of disaster and dystopia on the news or on Instagram. My latest tactic is exactly as you said: supporting my local community and my loved ones and being kind and generous and raising kind, social, responsible little people who will be great community members themselves one day. Thanks for putting this essay together and advocating for activism on all scales!
This is helpful! Really connecting some dots for me especially in regards to suffering as morally good. Thanks for writing this up!