One thing I’ve been fighting to do is unlearn the toxic “misery ethic” I learned in the military - “If it ain’t rainin’, you ain’t trainin’” “Pain is weakness leaving the body.” The idea is that suffering builds character, that hurting makes you more powerful. It’s crap 1/4
There’s no evidence this is true. You absolutely need to be able to face discomfort and suffering to be successful, but seeking suffering at all times turns you into a miserable drag that nobody wants to be around. More importantly, constant suffering *distracts* you. 2/4
It *saps* focus, because you’re constantly thinking “man, this hurts” instead of focusing on what you’re trying to do. It’s also demoralizing, because it imbues every task with dread. It annihilates the possibility that you can find joy in tackling something difficult. 3/4
This shit is absolutely *hammered* into you when you serve in the military. It has some benefits, but in the aggregate, it’s a disability, especially when you transition to civilian life. Pain isn’t weakness leaving the body. It’s just pain, and it’s okay to want to not hurt. 4/4
