Suffering

Love it.

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I hope my efforts if anything encourages people to attempt the highest mountains in life—be they spiritual or worldly—and to see the climbing and suffering as the reward.

The Marines have a great expression called “embrace the suck”. I try to do the Marine Corp one better with “praise the suck” (there is incredible strength that can be found in not just embracing but actually praising the suck).

If you love to suffer … then you will never have to suffer.

Love to suffer!

• “I want to suffer so that I may love.”—Fyodor Dostoyevsky

• “I think it is very good when people suffer. To me that is like the kiss of Jesus.”― Mother Teresa

• “Never to suffer would never to have been blessed.”— Edgar Allan Poe

• “Character cannot be developed in ease and quiet. Only through experience of trial and suffering can the soul be strengthened, ambition inspired, and success achieved.”— Helen Keller

• “Suffering has been stronger than all other teaching, and has taught me to understand what your heart used to be. I have been bent and broken, but – I hope – into a better shape.”― Charles Dickens

• “When it is all over you will not regret having suffered; rather you will regret having suffered so little, and suffered that little so badly.”–St. Sebastian Valfre

• “Blessed be He, Who came into the world for no other purpose than to suffer.”–St. Teresa of Avila

• “I do not desire to die soon, because in Heaven there is no suffering. I desire to live a long time because I yearn to suffer much for the love of my Spouse.”–St. Mary Magdalene de Pazzi

• “You will be consoled according to the greatness of your sorrow and affliction; the greater the suffering, the greater will be the reward.”–St. Mary Magdalen de’Pazzi

• “Suffering is a great favor. Remember that everything soon comes to an end … and take courage. Think of how our gain is eternal.”–St. Teresa of Avila

• “The road is narrow. He who wishes to travel it more easily must cast off all things and use the cross as his cane. In other words, he must be truly resolved to suffer willingly for the love of God in all things.”–St. John of the Cross

• “The truth that many people never understand, until it is too late, is that the more you try to avoid suffering the more you suffer because smaller and more insignificant things begin to torture you in proportion to your fear of being hurt.”—Thomas Merton

• “All the science of the Saints is included in these two things: To do, and to suffer. And whoever had done these two things best, has made himself most saintly.”–Saint Francis de Sales

• “Consider the life of Jesus. He was born in a stable. He had to flee to Egypt. He worked 30 years in the shop of a craftsman. He suffered hunger, thirst and fatigue. He was poor and He was ridiculed. He taught the doctrine of heaven and no one listened to him. He was treated like a slave, betrayed, and died between two thieves. Jesus’ life was full of humiliation, but we are horrified by the slightest humiliation. How do you expect to know Jesus if you do not see Him where He was found: in suffering and the cross. You must imitate Him. But do not think you can follow Him in your own strength – you are going to have to find all your strength in Him. Remember that Jesus wants to feel all your weaknesses.”—Fenelon

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@misc{anderson_2020_suffering,
  author = {Jed Anderson},
  title  = {Suffering},
  year   = {2020},
  url    = {https://jedanderson.org/posts/suffering},
  note   = {Accessed: 2026-05-13}
}

Anderson, J. (2020). Suffering. Retrieved from https://jedanderson.org/posts/suffering

Anderson, Jed. "Suffering." Jed Anderson, October 20, 2020, https://jedanderson.org/posts/suffering.