The Cause of Human Suffering

Lately, I have been doing some thinking and comparing who I used to be to who I am now; and in the light of my contemplating I observe the world around so much more differently than I used to and find myself asking questions like:

1. Why does everybody somehow assume they should be exempt from suffering?

2. Why are we surprised when life takes a different turn and suddenly things are not the way they used to be (like finances reducing or losing friendships e.t.c)

3. Why do we compare ourselves to one another?

4. Where did all these expectations of ourselves and other people come from?

5. Why are human beings never satisfied?

and the list goes on and on....

And as I continue to ponder, I can't help but wonder if the cause of human suffering is directly connected to how much worth we place on ourselves. For example, if I wanted to get someone to do as I say and they resisted, I could exercise some power over them and take something that means a lot to them away in order to force them to concede to my request, such as, their car, or their job or their house or their kids...is it then right to conclude that the man with nothing to lose is less prone to the emotional pain that comes with "suffering"? Does the value you place on yourself have anything to do with how much power someone else can exercise over you to cause you suffering?

Which leads me to ask another question? Does knowing what we live for have anything to do with how susceptible we are to the general discomforts that consequently lead to what many consider to be suffering?

And what about the suffering people are born with such as disabilities, or poverty? How can it be surmounted from a mental and emotional point of view? If there was nothing to compare these situations to would we consider them to be so dire? If we just loved one another and accepted ourselves as we are would any of our differences or privileges have any meaning or consequences?

I have read that Godliness with contentment is great gain and it is easy to believe because a number of resources I have explored on this subject as well as countless life experiences point to "ego" as a major cause of suffering. Is it now a contradiction to accuse "ego" of being the culprit after I have claimed that failing to place enough value and worth on ourselves make us more prone to how affected we are by loss which leads to suffering?

Well, Freya Watson on the other hand has an interesting point of view in this matter. in her June 21, 2014 article in the Elephant Journal online, she makes a fair point and I quote,

"While it’s fairly obvious that mainstream, modern society has an unhealthy relationship with desire which has pulled it towards over-consumption and a never-ending quest for gratification, I don’t subscribe to the view that eliminating desire is the solution. Desire is a highly creative energy that can fuel and inspire us to grow and expand."

So, what if the value of Desire is connected to our knowledge of life and the universe? Is it possible that a lot of what we believe to be suffering is so because we lack the knowledge of what exists on other planes or universes? Is ignorance and/or simplicity a major reason why we easily accept certain outcomes as products of suffering?

The questions and arguments on the cause of human suffering are endless and likely have no answers but my conclusion to the matter is that, human suffering is inevitable and the only way to gauge its long term effects is to be kind to one another and "love your neighbour as yourself". Perhaps in doing so, we all would be more willing to lend each other a helping hand when we each find ourselves at the end of life's downturns.