Why Do We Suffer? Here's One Crucial Reason We Hardly Ever Talk About

Keywords

suffering, unexpected encounters, nature and mortality, sudden loss

Abstract

One late August afternoon years ago when I lived in Connecticut, I was driving on one of the innumerable semi-rural roads flanked by endless trees. The summer light accented the trees, creating highlights of green so vivid that my eyes could scarcely take in the view.

Though the day was beautiful, the drive was unremarkable, as so many other drives like it I had made.

All that changed in an instant.

I rounded a bend in the road and spotted a three-foot-long snake crossing the road in the other lane. As I passed the snake, I looked ahead to see a large SUV swiftly approaching in the other lane. The SUV rushed passed me. Through my rear view mirror, I witnessed the SUV drive directly over the snake, crushing its body with thousands of pounds of force.

Original Publication Citation

Why Do We Suffer? Here’s One Crucial Reason We Hardly Ever Talk About, LDS Living, March 11, 2017.

Document Type

Peer-Reviewed Article

Publication Date

2017

Publisher

LDS Living

Language

English

College

Marriott School of Business

Department

Marketing

University Standing at Time of Publication

Associate Professor

Link to Full Text

Share

COinS