Picking Your Pain – Pain and Suffering #2

by | Apr 14, 2014 | F. Scott Fitzgerald, Pain & Suffering | 0 comments

 

I am picking today to be #2 in the Pain and Suffering series.

 

pick your pain - pain and suffering #2

Pick Your Pain

I pick my scalp.  My father did as well.  My mother and sisters would tell him not to.  My wife and daughters do the same to me on occasion. My response? I don’t stop for long. Why? Because I like picking my scalp. I like picking because I like the little bit of feeling, the pain, attached to it, among other things.

Picking a scab might lead to infection, it might bleed a bit too much. We all get that, but we do it anyway. Why? Because we like it. We like the pain because we know it is controlled. We know the pain won’t kill us (the infection might, yes, but the pain won’t). We know it will only go so deep. It’s the same reason we press a bruise or a sore spot on our body after we have exercised hard. We are testing the pain, seeing how painful it is. And that pain feels good because we know we can relieve the pain easy enough by just stopping.

Choose, Self-inflict, Repeat

Why are we so ready to repeat pain but not pleasure? To me the answer is simple, we don’t have any guilt with pain.  Pleasure can make us feel indulgent, selfish.  But how can you feel indulgent and selfish when you are feeling pain? It isn’t nearly as likely.  

That’s why we have so many quasi-martyrs in the world who love to advertise their suffering.  That’s why the ‘fruits of the spirit’ in the bible include ‘long-suffering’ but not ‘long-pleasuring’. We don’t unleash moral condemnation on pain and suffering, do we.

True Danger

There are times when self-inflicting pain really is dangerous and life threatening though.  Self-loathing and self-hating can lead to inflicting pain that can have permanent and even fatal consequences.  Sometimes to others as well as yourself.  I wish I had the answer as to way we do that.  All I know is it’s way too frequent among those I love.

What are your thoughts on it?

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Drawing and commentary by Marty Coleman

Quote by F. Scott Fitzgerald, 1896-1940, American author

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Metaphor #1 – Convictions

by | Mar 30, 2011 | F. Scott Fitzgerald, Metaphor - 2011 | 0 comments

It’s Metaphor Week at the NDD!  First, a definition. A metaphor is a direct claim that
A is X.  A simile is similar, but it says A is like X, not A is X.
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Want to stay young at heart?  Have not only the courage of your convictions, but the courage to explore them thoroughly.
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Drawing and commentary by Marty Coleman of The Napkin Dad Daily

Quote by F. Scott Fitzgerald, 1896-1940,  American author and screenwriter.  Ironically he died at the exact age of the older person in his quote.
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One year ago today – In Spring I Have Counted
Two years ago today – Any Married Man
Three years ago today – Until They Know
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Slam – Updated 2018

by | May 8, 2010 | F. Scott Fitzgerald, Manners - 2010 | 0 comments

Offering #3 in The Napkin Dad’s Guide to Manners
 

It is still rude, however. But when someone is rude to you it isn’t that they are judging you. Their rudeness proves they are judging those they have battled before.  Those who hurt them, fooled them, laughed at them, were rude to them.  Those who denigrated, belittled, betrayed, and otherwise disappointed and hurt the person’s hopes, desires and expectations.  Rudeness is their way of battling back.  

It feels good to be rude sometimes. It’s satisfying, like you got someone back.  But of course, the problem is you usually don’t get the right person back and, even if you do, you don’t end up being satisfied in the long run.

Better to stop the chain of rudeness and be nice, ok?  That’s easy enough, isn’t it?

By the way – I know they don’t look like very realistic tongues. But that race of skinny headed people have giant lozenge-like tongues.  I checked.

Drawing and commentary by Marty Coleman of The Napkin Dad Daily

“It’s not a slam at you when people are rude – It’s a slam at the ones they’ve met before.” –  F. Scott Fitzgerald, 1896-1940, American writer