The Extreme Edge is Where the Magic Happens: Pain and Suffering is the Catalyst

I’ve learned a literal truth as I’ve gotten older and especially in light of the crazy last 3 years. 

It’s been especially challenging as all my preconceived views and beliefs have been overturned. Trust has been broken by the system, by governments, companies, institutions that have been proven to be untrustworthy or incompetent. 

Rules, people and friends who all have been broken. Many of us have been pushed to our mental and physical breaking points. All this pain and suffering and for what? 

Yet from Warhammer 40k, a remarkably deep sci-fi series, I’ve found an explanation. 

“Why do we suffer?

Suffering, pain, grief, they are all extremities of the human condition.”

Sadly, the extremities are where you learn about your true self. This is the point where you shrink or you rise to the challenge. Most people shrink, myself included. It’s like weightlifting: you build muscle by pushing it & tearing it so it gets rebuilt stronger. 

Our breaking points are where we have our deep breakthroughs of insight or realization. This is the case for startups and this is the case for people. Pain is the critical catalyst. As I’ve written before from the Bible: “He who gains knowledge, gains pain.” I’d say true knowledge can only come from pain. 

“We suffer because it is the sad but necessary consequence of our ability to prevail.”

Yet we run from pain and embrace comfort. And most people don’t push themselves or risk to even get close to this point. It’s like David Goggins says: we only use 40% of our true capacity. 

This is why those that truly live are those that truly risk. They push themselves beyond normal levels. This could be driven by ego, driven by pride and most likely by trauma & pain. But whatever the cause, those that go all out, are the only ones who can truly say they have lived the full human experience.