When we suffer, do we make it worse by thinking about it? This question sits at the heart of how we understand the very nature of human pain–and points toward ancient wisdom we’ve forgotten in our modern rush to analyze, optimize, and solve every difficulty we encounter.
Forgetting shapes human experience in vital ways. In the 21st century, many of us go about our lives in ways that will ensure that we will be remembered: we produce content on social media, we make scientific discoveries that carry our names, and we construct transnational business empires. However, there is also a tremendous weight to leaving a legacy: we attempt to harm the least amount of people according to our own limited moral codes. We also have little choice in how others record our accomplishments and undertakings.
We can lighten the burden of our existence by recognizing that we, too, will one day be erased from memory. Time will erase our successes, and it will wipe out our errors, mistakes, and missteps too. A close examination of ancient societies and peoples can be a source of healing.
