hellispink
poisonous
- May 26, 2022
- 1,231
Seven Threads
Iterator
- Mar 5, 2023
- 95
I honestly do not believe so. The idea that this is some form of hell or a punishment implies that there is some larger force that is punishing us, some entity that actually wishes to see us suffer. I know that certain people may believe this to be the case (and I don't want to dismiss them, faith in divine power is a valid perspective for making sense of our bizarre existence), but all the evidence that we actually have available points to a universe that simply doesn't care. We could lead neutral lives, achieve immense happiness, or suffer unbearably for millennia, and to the greater scope of the cosmos, it's all the same.
I can definitely understand why people would want to believe the world exists to torment them, though. There is so much suffering in it. The idea that this is some sort of punishment for us ties all that suffering up with a neat little bow. It provides an easy and digestible answer for why so much suffering exists. This answer doesn't fix it, and it doesn't make it any easier to bear, but it at least makes all the suffering in the world make sense. For some, it's just a little more comfortable to be able to have a why for their suffering, something to explain it, instead of enduring pain and torment for seemingly no real reason at all.
So with that said, let me provide an alternative explanation.
Life...is fragile. The conditions in which life can exist are extremely narrow, the complexity involved in even the most basic organism attempting to remain 'alive' just boggles the mind. Dead things have it easy. They can be anywhere, doing anything, and remain dead. The crushing weight at the center of the earth. The heart of a star. A black hole. Dead things don't care. They can enter, leave, or return to any of these environments and remain just as dead as they are. Dead stuff doesn't need to care.
Life, though? Life has to walk an incredibly narrow tightrope to remain in the thin sliver of conditions and circumstances which allow it to stay alive, with death surrounding it on all sides. Think about the things that make you suffer. The physical pain of an injury, the pangs of hunger, the emotional pain of isolation or judgment, the existential dread of knowing that none of it will ultimately matter in the end. Each of these presents a threat, something that can either push you off that thin sliver we call life (injury, hunger), or make it more difficult to stay balanced on it (social isolation, despair). Pain is part of that balancing act, a force designed to push us away from those things that threaten our precarious perch on this extremely narrow knife's edge of a tightrope. And since those things are everywhere, all the time, suffering is very often found everywhere, all the time.
This also explains why other people can very often be a huge part of our suffering. We're all in this together, perched on this same tightrope. As one person fails and spins their arms to keep their balance, they have a tendency to knock into the people around them, upsetting their balance and bringing them closer to some form of threat, resulting in pain. No one is immune from this; we all cause pain to others around us at some point or another in an attempt to reduce our own. It's an unavoidable part of the human experience.
So no, this isn't a hell. We weren't put here to suffer, no one is punishing us, and we don't deserve our shared pain. It is just a common-sense manifestation of an incredibly fragile system trying to keep itself going, and avoid the things that could stop it. And the only thing any of us can really do, apart from try to escape it ourselves (ctb), is to do what we can to try and reduce the suffering of those around us.
I can definitely understand why people would want to believe the world exists to torment them, though. There is so much suffering in it. The idea that this is some sort of punishment for us ties all that suffering up with a neat little bow. It provides an easy and digestible answer for why so much suffering exists. This answer doesn't fix it, and it doesn't make it any easier to bear, but it at least makes all the suffering in the world make sense. For some, it's just a little more comfortable to be able to have a why for their suffering, something to explain it, instead of enduring pain and torment for seemingly no real reason at all.
So with that said, let me provide an alternative explanation.
Life...is fragile. The conditions in which life can exist are extremely narrow, the complexity involved in even the most basic organism attempting to remain 'alive' just boggles the mind. Dead things have it easy. They can be anywhere, doing anything, and remain dead. The crushing weight at the center of the earth. The heart of a star. A black hole. Dead things don't care. They can enter, leave, or return to any of these environments and remain just as dead as they are. Dead stuff doesn't need to care.
Life, though? Life has to walk an incredibly narrow tightrope to remain in the thin sliver of conditions and circumstances which allow it to stay alive, with death surrounding it on all sides. Think about the things that make you suffer. The physical pain of an injury, the pangs of hunger, the emotional pain of isolation or judgment, the existential dread of knowing that none of it will ultimately matter in the end. Each of these presents a threat, something that can either push you off that thin sliver we call life (injury, hunger), or make it more difficult to stay balanced on it (social isolation, despair). Pain is part of that balancing act, a force designed to push us away from those things that threaten our precarious perch on this extremely narrow knife's edge of a tightrope. And since those things are everywhere, all the time, suffering is very often found everywhere, all the time.
This also explains why other people can very often be a huge part of our suffering. We're all in this together, perched on this same tightrope. As one person fails and spins their arms to keep their balance, they have a tendency to knock into the people around them, upsetting their balance and bringing them closer to some form of threat, resulting in pain. No one is immune from this; we all cause pain to others around us at some point or another in an attempt to reduce our own. It's an unavoidable part of the human experience.
So no, this isn't a hell. We weren't put here to suffer, no one is punishing us, and we don't deserve our shared pain. It is just a common-sense manifestation of an incredibly fragile system trying to keep itself going, and avoid the things that could stop it. And the only thing any of us can really do, apart from try to escape it ourselves (ctb), is to do what we can to try and reduce the suffering of those around us.
AllMyDreams
Experienced
- Dec 12, 2021
- 279
I don't think so because there will always be 'good' and 'bad' aspects of anywhere you end up living. What is 'good' and 'bad' depends in large part on the person's attitude (though living in certain situations definitely makes that harder).
For example, if we eliminated all disease, mental illness, conflict and inequality, people would take that for granted and find other things to be miserable about. With no disease, some people will still feel physically healthier than others, and those less healthy will become the new 'sick'. With no mental illness, life/the arts would get predictable and boring. With no conflict, life would have no stakes or purpose for many people. And with no inequality, people would all feel the same and find it hard to set interesting goals for themselves.
I do think it's possible that if our souls become 'enlightened' or 'experienced' enough, we might achieve some higher status in the universe, and that people's souls will keep being reincarnated until that happens. But this world isn't 'hell', it's just a world that will always have good and bad no matter what form it takes. We aren't sent here as punishment but more so to experience life as it is.
For example, if we eliminated all disease, mental illness, conflict and inequality, people would take that for granted and find other things to be miserable about. With no disease, some people will still feel physically healthier than others, and those less healthy will become the new 'sick'. With no mental illness, life/the arts would get predictable and boring. With no conflict, life would have no stakes or purpose for many people. And with no inequality, people would all feel the same and find it hard to set interesting goals for themselves.
I do think it's possible that if our souls become 'enlightened' or 'experienced' enough, we might achieve some higher status in the universe, and that people's souls will keep being reincarnated until that happens. But this world isn't 'hell', it's just a world that will always have good and bad no matter what form it takes. We aren't sent here as punishment but more so to experience life as it is.
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doneWithThisSh1t
Member
- Feb 15, 2023
- 20
I've always thought the earth seems like heaven and hell at the same time, depending on your genetics, financial situation, how your parents raised you/what they taught you, where/when you were born etc.(none of which we really choose). Of course there are people who have been dealt a rough hand and still managed to make something enjoyable out of their lives, and those who were granted great lives yet still manage to fuck them up, but I would guess that the majority end up where they were expected to, one way or another. For there to be winners in life, there's got to be losers otherwise it wouldn't mean much.
Agree with this concept ^^
FuneralCry
Just wanting some peace
- Sep 24, 2020
- 38,913
I don't really believe in such a thing as past lives, or that there is some kind of deeper meaning to all this, I just see life as being an unfortunate and tragic consequence of evolution and we only exist because of the selfish decision to procreate. I very strongly believe that before we existed there was nothing and it will be the same after we cease existing, life is just something so unnecessary and insignificant that could only ever lead to death. I just think the fact that humans were cursed with consciousness and the ability to be aware means that they often question the purpose to life and why things are this way, as the fact that everything is random and only determined by chance is too hard for them to bear.
And I believe that humans search for some justication as to why things are the way they are, as some kind of coping mechanism so that they don't suffer more as having the ability to be conscious certainly can be torturous. But yes, life in itself is something so incredibly hellish. I do consider this world to be hell because of the vast amount of torture that continues to exist here, it's undeniable that existing is something so incredibly harmful so of course it's always preferable to not exist. In this uncertain and unpredictable world where we risk experiencing even worse torment at any moment, peace could never possibly exist here.
And I believe that humans search for some justication as to why things are the way they are, as some kind of coping mechanism so that they don't suffer more as having the ability to be conscious certainly can be torturous. But yes, life in itself is something so incredibly hellish. I do consider this world to be hell because of the vast amount of torture that continues to exist here, it's undeniable that existing is something so incredibly harmful so of course it's always preferable to not exist. In this uncertain and unpredictable world where we risk experiencing even worse torment at any moment, peace could never possibly exist here.
SilentSadness
The rain pours eternally.
- Feb 28, 2023
- 1,126
I guess punishment implies that someone inflicted it upon us, but it certainly is no different to hell. A lot of the people you find here are the kind you'd expect to find in hell and the amount of suffering compared to happiness is monstrous. I don't think there's anything anyone could do to deserve this anyway.
JD_looking_for_avi
Member
- Mar 17, 2023
- 12
According to "britannica.com": "Human beings are anatomically similar and related to the great apes but are distinguished by a more highly developed brain and a resultant capacity for articulate speech and abstract reasoning." All the concepts mentioned such as: good, bad, soul, hell, punishment, suffering; are products of our mind. I lost my son 3 weeks ago. He killed himself with SN and was found dead in his room at the University. And you can think I'm the worse person in the world and I deserved to lost my beloved son. However, when I was 8 years old I lost my father in a car accident. The question is: why? Assuming that a 8 years old boy had no time enough to be considered so "bad" and be punished why should he lost his father. On the other hand, at 50+ lost his only son and I can tell you that is more painful than any lost. So, I strongly believe that we are just biological systems, that work with a main mission: survive. Until we die: accident, disease, fight, we all will die one day. I used to believe in mitology: God, spirit, soul, hell, heaven... but as I got older and had so many bad experiences with this world now I believe that we are just an organic system working to pretend that we are special. I'm sorry: we're not special. The only difference between us and the apes it was described in the definition above and I would add our capacity to dream and imagine.
Of course its hell, we were forever asleep with no pain. Everybody loves to sleep , and they woke us up from billions and billions of years of sleep. Earth is a nightmare alive.
We are selfish products of our parents. I have an example , my friend told me yesterday that he told her mother , why you didn't save 1$ per day everyday and give it to me when im 30 years old , i would feel so much secure with that money and could take care better of myself (dentist, doctor, etc.) She couldnt even save 1$ per day and she could afford it. How selfish is that for god sake. Same thing with my parents.
Thinks about it tonight , if you were to choose how much time you want to sleep, 8 hours , 8 years or 8 billions of years. It doesn't make a difference. Wtf do i wake up after only 8 hours , 8 billions years or NEVER would do the same , that's why suicide is a good choice. Sleep forever , no time , no pain , forever in peace.
We are selfish products of our parents. I have an example , my friend told me yesterday that he told her mother , why you didn't save 1$ per day everyday and give it to me when im 30 years old , i would feel so much secure with that money and could take care better of myself (dentist, doctor, etc.) She couldnt even save 1$ per day and she could afford it. How selfish is that for god sake. Same thing with my parents.
Thinks about it tonight , if you were to choose how much time you want to sleep, 8 hours , 8 years or 8 billions of years. It doesn't make a difference. Wtf do i wake up after only 8 hours , 8 billions years or NEVER would do the same , that's why suicide is a good choice. Sleep forever , no time , no pain , forever in peace.
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