Spreading Compassion

Just had the Flu

It's of course nothing that anyone really wants to go through. But we all have it every now and then. This time it was particularly bad with limb pain so severe that I could barely move. I lost 5kg since I did not have any appetite. In fact, I still feel a bit nauseous just thinking about food. Having someone around when feeling like this truly is a blessing. Everything becomes a challenge, and it can become an even greater one when one or more family members gets it as well. Have kids? Well then it becomes even more difficult. It can really come close to a breaking point when things stay tough for a while. But somehow we get through it eventually.

So why do we have to go through this every now and then? Life, or course, isn't just roses and rainbows; most of the times it is more like hardship and suffering. A little flu here and there fits in perfectly it seems. But I think there is more to it. You see, going through these longer periods (which are in hindsight relatively short though) really has a great effect on people. Dare I say that it makes us human? My thesis is simple enough (and not new of course): moments of suffering make us human. Remove these moments and we might literally lose our humanity.

When we lie in our beds and are helpless we get to reflect on many things if we don't numb ourselves completely by taking too many pain killers. We get to reflect on life and normally this includes seeing the relationships we have or lack. It is in these moments we might feel terribly lonely or may be grateful for the close connections we have made. This experience opens us up to introspection and at the same time we may get to experience compassion from others making us some tea or simply giving us some medication or a warming bottle. If we are not so fortunate to have companionship then it may give rise to the desire to seek some. I would argue that both are deeply human needs that make us "more" human.

This can be said about all sorts of events humans go through. The flu, however, is something we all experience regularly and I think it is this yearly rhythm of persistent disease that hones our skill for compassion. When looking through the evolutionary and historical lens, I even think it isn't outrageous to say that viruses (we generally recover from) have shaped human relations over millennia - and mostly for the better. While it is difficult to know for sure, the absence of these kinds of viruses might lead to a more selfish and less compassionate society. While I don't wish any disease on other people, perhaps the next time you get sick, take it as an opportunity for introspection and cherishing the bonds you may have with others or an opportunity to grow new ones.

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