The Wisdom of Discomfort

Discovering the Profound Connection Between Pain and Wisdom

The following excerpt is from my novel And So By Fire:

“I’m lost,” Thura said, looking at her empty cup and avoiding eye contact. Below the table, she had stopped rubbing her thumb against her fingers and made a fist. “You asked who I am. Well, that’s who I am. I’m lost.”

Helper’s face indicated she felt Thura’s anguish

“I thought I knew who I was,” Thura continued. “But I’m clearly not that person. I don’t know why I’m telling you all this. I don’t even know you. I don’t even know this place. I don’t even know why I’m here.”

“Yet here you are, Thura,” Helper said. “All the infinite winding paths that led you to a seat at this table. What are the odds?”

Thura put her elbows on the table and her head in her hands. She interlaced her fingers through her neglected hair. Her knees bounced up and down as she thought.

“Okay. It’s a long story,” Thura said. “Here’s the super short version. I was in a simulation. Not really my thing. But again, long story. I met a woman named Sophia who was full of deep wisdom. She taught me about myself and life, in general. And it was honestly the most meaningful experience I’ve ever had in my life. But now I’m here and I feel like everything is out of control and that I’m falling apart.”

“Oh, so now you’re earning your wisdom,” Helper said, smiling.

Thura took her head out of her hands and stared at the young woman. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

“When you first walked down those stone steps and looked into this room, did you wonder how such a quaint and humble place could exist in Pangea?” Helper asked. “A place so seemingly neglected by those who try to control everything and everyone on the island?” 

“I did kind of think that, as my head was spinning,” Thura said. “I had no idea it was here.”

“You wouldn’t have, Thura,” Helper said. “When have you ever been pushed to the margins by an unjust system?”

“It’s pushing me right n….” Thura began.

“And you’re here, now,” Helper interrupted. “You see, the people who gather here are casualties of the system. They’ve been chewed up and spit out, if you will. And to those in power, they’re not worth controlling because they have no value. So they walk freely through the streets of Pangea, unnoticed.”

“Like the old man,” Thura said. 

“Like him and all the others.” 

“So what does that have to do with me earning my wisdom?” Thura attempted to clarify.

“The wisest people I know are those who’ve descended these stairs and sat at these tables,” Helper said. “They hold no illusions about the city above. They see it for what it is— people existing behind an artificial veil to ignore or escape their pain. People trying to fill an insatiable void in their chest with no inner experience. But there’s no veil down here, Thura. There’s nothing to hide behind. There’s no escaping that pain in your chest. You carry it down these steps and gather with others who’ve done the same thing. That’s earning your wisdom. Sitting with your pain, rather than trying to avoid it, that’s earning your wisdom.”

Question

1. Are you open to sitting with my own emotional pain and discomfort, or do you tend to avoid it? How does this impact your personal growth?

Peace,

Brandon

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I wrote a short-story entitled Liberi that comes out TODAY in a science-fiction anthology called Augmented, Volume 1 with my publisher Quoir. I would be honored if you would check it out here.