People are afraid of themselves, of their own reality; their feelings most of all. People talk about how great love is, but that’s bullshit. Love hurts. Feelings are disturbing. People are taught that pain is evil and dangerous. How can they deal with love if they’re afraid to feel? Pain is meant to wake us up. People try to hide their pain. But they’re wrong. Pain is something to carry, like a radio. You feel your strength in the experience of pain. It’s all in how you carry it. That’s what matters. Pain is a feeling. Your feelings are a part of you. Your own reality. If you feel ashamed of them, and hide them, you’re letting society destroy your reality. You should stand up for your right to feel your pain.
- Jim Morrison
I don’t know if I 100% agree with everything said here. For example, I dislike the word “should” and I am not sure if I need to (want to?) stand up…but I think this is worth considering.
Jam of the day: Ra Ra Riot “When I Dream”
Love this very much. Happy Monday.
i woudn’t agree that it’s “bullshit”……… I believe that pain and suffering (and LOVE) allow us to experience more deeply, and allow us to experience happiness, joy, vulnerability, courage, closeness on greater levels. Like they say, “The rain falls so that we can be grateful for the sunshine” or something like that… though I do agree, that we need to stand up for our feelings and that the pain ‘wakes us up’….reminds us that everything is temporary, reminds us about gratitude, reminds us we are human.
since my father’s diagnosis, some days I feel REALLY depressed, mad at the world, paranoid, pessimistic, upset with all of the suffering, etc….and I remember on one of these days at therapy my therapist said something like… but pain makes this life beautiful…. and you might not be able to see it now, but soon you will …
anyway. happy monday!
xoxoxo.
gc
Very thoughtful comment, my friend. This is such an interesting quote – even if you and I don’t agree with my man Jim on all counts!
I agree with you; love gives us many gifts and help us grow in ways we cannot on our own. I took that part of the statement not to mean that love is bullshit, but that there is duality in everything in our lives, in our being, in our relationships – there is good and bad. Speaking for myself, I have sometimes have trouble accessing pain and what that means to me.
I think this is very much in tune with how I think and also how I live, but I’ve always felt guilty for it for some reason. I wouldn’t say I’m defined by my pain, or that I think the idea that love can be great is bullshit, but I definitely perceive the world as a painful place. I think it took me awhile to get to the point where I could appreciate the pain, and understand it, therefore translating it into beauty and even love. I’m not sure if that’s what Morrison meant, but I can jive what he’s saying.
Kacy, I love how much I learn from you. I feel as though we are alike in so many ways, but our differences (and your unique and superior wisdom) give me more *aha!* moments than I can tell you.
I see the world as a painful place as well, and I agree that the beauty lies within that. Would you agree with me when I say that some of our greatest gifts have come as a result of our pain? I think that was part of what Jim was saying. Beautiful people come from pain.
I’ve been trying to come up w/ my response for a wk…still got nothing
I know! There’s just so much!