Page 37 - EMCAPP-Journal No. 24

essary part of life that can lead to a deeper un- reflec�on. To summarize, Goethe viewed pain
derstanding and wisdom.
Ka�a’s thinking on this subject stands in stark
contrast to Dostoevsky’s. Ka�a saw pain as
‘pointless’. He writes, ‘Pain changes nothing.” It
just repeats itself un�l you forget who you were
before it started’. Pain doesn’t necessarily lead
to change or growth but rather can be a source
of endless suffering and gradually it erases
one’s sense of self. Ka�a could see pain as an
agent of nega�ve change that is forced upon an
unwilling recipient. That is, transforma�on
against your will as seen in The Metamorpho-
sis.
While others might see pain as a ‘teacher’ or a
‘path’ to religious freedom, Ka�a’s wri�ngs
o�en depict it as a force of isola�on, despair
and painful involuntary reshaping.
We can summarize Ka�a’s thinking on pain un-
der three headings. He saw pain as:
1. Erosion, not transforma�on. For Ka�a pain
is a ‘stripping agent’, peeling away one’s
sense of self, iden�ty, agency, vitality and
sense of direc�on.
2. Loss of self. If pain is not reflected upon it
can ‘hollow out’ a person and cause loss of
memory. That is, we forget who we were
before the pain started.
3. Stagna�on not Growth. Unlike Stoic philos-
ophy, and to some extent Chris�an spiritual-
ity which both emphasize growth through
endurance and reflec�on. Ka�a suggests
that pain if le� unchecked leads to iner�a
and stagna�on. And an inability to transi-
�on and transform.
Goethe (1749 -1882)
For Goethe, extreme pain is a transforma�ve
force, like that of extreme joy, that alters our
percep�on of the world. In his work, including
The Sorrows of Young Werther (1774), Goethe
explores both moral and physical suffering
caused by unrequited love and other life expe-
17
riences . Goethe also recognized the impor-
tance of enduring hardship through ac�on and
17 It should be noted here that The Sorrows of Young Wer- physical and mental symptoms are coming together”. My
ther was highly controversial at the �me and was banned in comment here is this, Comorbidi�es suggest that Health is
some countries because it led to an outbreak of suicides fragmented not holis�c. We should talk about ‘health’ not
across Europe.
37
as a universal aspect of life, that was:
• Linked to Joy. Pain and joy are both pro-
foundly capable of changing one’s perspec-
�ve on life.
• Inherent in existence. Goethe saw life as
aperpetualburden,notunlikeSchopenhauer.
It was a ceaseless sisyphusian task for
Goethe, implying that pain is an unavoidable
component of the human journey.
• Source of disillusionment. In his ‘Werther
work’Goethe explores how pain like the
“endless joys” and “endless pains of the
gods”, can lead to a
sense of disillusionment.
Goethe knew of what he spoke
For Goethe, pain was more than theore�cal or
a literary device. He experiences intense and
chronic pain from a condi�on known as Mor-
bus Fores�er, a spinal disease. To try to allevi-
ate this ongoing pain, Goethe found benefit
from visi�ng spas in West Bohemia. However,
despite his own suffering, Goethe did express
some posi�vity toward it in his philosophical
and ar�s�c views on pain. For him, pain could
be a catalyst for ac�on. Pain could be seen as a
‘driving force’. Goethe believed that ac�on and
growth can occur even amidst the ebbs and
flows of pleasure and pain. He also considered
that compassion could be issued from personal
pain. Goethe believed that we can only under-
stand another person’s heart by sharing our
own experience of pain and suffering. Com-
radery in pain seems to bring about compas-
sion for fellow sufferers.
Luther’s Anfechtungen (1483 -1546) 18
In studying the German Reformer Mar�n Luther’s
life, it is possible to see how pain can impact
the whole of a person’s life. 19 Luther’s suffering
included physical pain, mental and spiritual
suffering. It had a profound effect on shaping
his theology, par�cularly his understanding
18 See Eric Metaxis’ excellent book on Luther, Mar�n Luther.
The Man Who Rediscovered God and Changed the World.
19 Edward Bulmore in his book, The Divided Mind states that
we should not use comorbidi�es. He writes, ‘Co-morbid is a
word with an an�que resonance that sounds impressive.
(However) when stripped down, my pa�ent was saying “my
physical or ∑mental health. They are all of one piece.