The danger of being brought up in a society that glorifies suffering, is being wired to not only legitimize the concept, but also normalize it. It is tying it, on a subconscious level— and conscious perhaps, to a cosmic reward system, where more suffering necessarily means more effort, where more steadfastness definitely guarantees bigger rewards. It is relating it directly to the assumption/fallacy that this world is fair.
On some occasions, this escalates into an ingrained belief that suffering is the only decent way of deserving things, a belief that things need to be earned and deserved in the first place.
On other occasions, putting a limit to the suffering is frowned upon, so much so, it is perceived as quitting. It is opting out of the reward game, it is consciously choosing to be disqualified.
On both occasions, guilt about risking the possibility— albeit hypothetical, of finally being compensated is borderline intolerable.
So we stay.
We stick around often just for the mere possibility of all of this being true.
We endure just for the hope of it actually happening.
So we suffer.
Are the stakes higher if we stick around or if we quit?
I wonder.
