Exposure to the suffering world

Had a quick chat with a girlfriend, who said she wanted more balance in her life. More balance in the sense of being exposed to the world out there.

I didn’t say this to her, but I was thinking in my heart, why would you want to be exposed to all the sufferings out there in the world? Will it really give you a broader perspective? And so what if it does?

But I admit I came from a different angle.

Coz I have always felt that the world is filled with endless suffering, and having us simply knowing about it, doesn’t do much. (I am the pessimist that doesn’t quite believe 1 person can change the world; actually that can be done, but that’s another entry all together)

It’s true that it can give you perspective; all things being relative. But unless you know how to, and is ready to integrate it into your life in a positive manner, a lot of things can go wrong with that sort of exposure.

The super sympathetic/empathetic can spiral into depression at the state of suffering and unfair treatment. The self-centred might think that others deserve it, and the fact that they aint suffering, means that they are better than the rest. The man on the street might acknowledge the suffering, but it gets buried below all the work stress and indignities that he is facing in life.

Once the fundraising charity TV programmes are over and the hotlines closed, how many of us actually remember the beneficiaries and their needs before the next year’s show comes around?

It is almost a fact that we live in our little little worlds, which we magnify simply because we are in them. And we view all from our perspective, which obviously is limited, but thinking that we are so Big and Great.

We do need exposure alright. But the type and method and integration should be carefully strategized (if such a thing can ever be done). At the end of the day, your intention matters the most.

What are you looking at getting out from exposure to the world? Are your fundamentals sound and able to “protect” you from destruction by the very world that you want to be exposed to?