--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Suffering is not avoided, and is even…" description: "\"“Suffering is not avoided, and is even sought for, simply because it is the hardest thing for man to deal with, and the greatest test of his acquired p..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/da4/rodney-collin-43045_hardest-thing_suffering-is-not-avoided-and-is-even-sou_115067.png" --- # Suffering is not avoided, and is even sought for, simply… ![“Suffering is not avoided, and is even sought for, simply because it is the hardest thing for man to deal with, and the greatest test of his acquired power of separating his consciousness from his bodily manifestations and looking down upon these objectively.” quote by Rodney Collin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/da4/rodney-collin-43045_hardest-thing_suffering-is-not-avoided-and-is-even-sou_115067.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/da4/rodney-collin-43045_hardest-thing_suffering-is-not-avoided-and-is-even-sou_115067.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/da4/rodney-collin-43045_hardest-thing_suffering-is-not-avoided-and-is-even-sou_115067.png) > ““Suffering is not avoided, and is even sought for, simply because it is the hardest thing for man to deal with, and the greatest test of his acquired power of separating his consciousness from his bodily manifestations and looking down upon these objectively.”” [Rodney Collin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rodney-collin/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Suffering is unavoidable and sometimes sought because it tests our ability to detach consciousness from bodily experience and observe it objectively. **In simple terms:** Pain tests our capacity for detached observation. Key Takeaway Suffering reveals mental discipline. Themes suffering self‑transcendence mind‑body separation Mood reflective somber Type philosophical psychological When to use this quote - meditative retreats - grief counseling - intense physical training Key Concepts existential resilience detachment Practical Applications - practice mindfulness to observe pain without identification - use journaling to separate feeling from narrative Questions to Reflect On - When does confronting pain become harmful? - How can one cultivate healthy detachment? A Different Perspective Seeking suffering can become self‑destructive if not balanced with self‑care. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Suffering](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/suffering/) ## Related quotes > [You're not always right. You're often wrong. But at least you're looking at it as objectively as you can with as much experience as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victor-levin/you-re-not-always-right-you-re-often-wrong-but-at-least-you-re/) [Victor Levin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victor-levin/) > [You know, looking at it objectively, I've written one or two good books.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doris-lessing/you-know-looking-at-it-objectively-i-ve-written-one-or-two-good-books/) [Doris Lessing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doris-lessing/) > [“It is our contemporary culture’s tragedy to have lost any sense of suffering as a positive dimension of human existence. 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