Pragmatists,
Have you ever watched a TV show, movie, played a video game, or read a book where a character in it seemingly is dealt the worst possible hand all the time?
Have you ever felt a little bit empathetic towards said character? Maybe you felt like that person understood you, because life at times can feel like one giant gauntlet that never ends.
We feel that way and look towards these characters as signs of strength. We identify with them because we too, suffer, by the virtue of being human. It’s become so integral to the human experience that our myths, religions, and stories include a major element of suffering.
Christians identify with their suffering savior, Jesus.
The man that supposedly became Buddha saw the people outside of his palace’s walls, and then took on suffering himself through fasting until he achieved enlightenment.
Marcus Aurelius buried eight of his children.
Seneca was unjustly exiled.
Epictetus, as a slave, had his leg permanently crippled by his master.
Joan of Arc was burned at the stake for supposed heresy.
Florence Nightingale had to endure her overbearing and old-fashioned family.
And it’s likely for years that these characters, figures, and stories will continue to resonate with us because they have affixed themself to a universally experienced feeling. No matter what country you live in and how much you try to distance yourself from your problems with money, people suffer the consequences of their actions, the actions of others, and random chaos alike.
To see yourself as a kindred spirit with these suffering characters is invigorating. If you allow yourself the ability to struggle against your circumstances, you will thrive in the worst the world has to offer.
Think of what happens to fish that are out of water. Just because their gills, fins, and scales were all meant to succeed in water doesn’t mean they stop using them as soon as they hit land or boat.
They continue to flop around and struggle against the net, hook, and floor. They refuse to give up the fight. They persist and resist until they’re either released back into the water or turned into dinner. They still open and close their gills. Even though they can hardly breathe, every part of their being is dedicated to fighting their situation.
Cornered animals are a great example of the struggler archetype. Even with their backs against the wall, they snarl and bite, sometimes even more ferociously than before. They lash out and strive against their circumstances with ferocity and courage that human beings often don’t emulate nearly as often. Maybe if we had even a fraction of a wild animal’s drive to survive, we’d accomplish so much more.
That’s how change is made. We continuously make efforts against whatever inhibits us— the status quo, the tyranny, the chaos and calamity. It doesn’t matter how big or small, it’s our duty to not put up with these things.
It doesn’t mean be cruel, outrageous, and violent to everyone you meet or perceive as a threat. But it does mean standing up for yourself, preparing for confrontations of all kinds, and being steadfast in your right to exist on this earth.
Until next time,
Eli