# Suffering as a Requirement for Success By:: [[Brian Heath]] 2023-12-15 To be significant, must one experience obstacles and suffering? Stories and myths abound of important historical figures overcoming endless challenges and impossible odds. I suspect one could not think of a famous person who has not faced an uphill battle. So, one could posit that obstacles and suffering are required if one wishes to be famous or successful within a group or organization. Furthermore, we rarely look positive on someone who has appeared to live a charmed life. Perhaps the obstacle and suffering build character, but maybe it's just a better story, and humans love telling stories to make sense of the universe. If one stops the analysis at this point (suffering and obstacles are a requirement for success), one may go about seeking or manufacturing it. Asking for trouble seems like a dangerous game to play. For example, how far does one go before they accidentally kill themselves? One must find the right balance between socially worthy obstacle conquering and inevitable failure. Because of this, many make up or exaggerate their obstacles and suffering. Many see through this, but it's hard to say exactly how many stories are fabricated as the winners write the history books. Alas, it's worth going deeper with this analysis. The universal nature of human suffering and perseverance is at the heart of the issue. We elevate individuals and their stories because it is something innately programmed into us. At some level, we all experience pain, suffering, and obstacles. While the game of who had it worst is endless, one cannot deny that the feelings are the same. Seeing others succeed and overcome gives us hope that the same can be true for me and those I care about. So, must one seek out the obstacles and suffering to be deemed worthy? One cannot live another life, but one will experience the human condition. It is here where we can all relate. We can find a path to solidarity in the suffering and the obstacles. Whether one becomes famous is a dice roll and largely inconsequential. One must move on and survive with the hand dealt to them. Knowing everyone else is doing the same is the basis of progress and belonging. #### Related Items [[Success]] [[Suffering]] [[The Human Condition]] [[Storytelling]] [[Individuals]] [[Society]] [[Solidarity]] [[Obstacles]]