Corner of Thought: The Human Experience

Pain is an inevitable part of life. We lose loved ones, we experience rejection, we face failure, and sometimes the world simply doesn’t go the way we planned. Psychology agrees: pain is unavoidable. But suffering—that lingering weight we carry long after the moment has passed—is not inevitable. Suffering is prolonged when we allow our minds to trap us in endless loops of blame, self-pity, and “what ifs.”

The truth is this: we suffer as long as we decide to.

The Difference Between Pain and Suffering

Pain is what happens to us. It’s raw, it’s real, and it’s often outside of our control. But suffering is how we process that pain internally. It’s the narrative we build around it. It’s replaying the event over and over, asking “Why me?” instead of asking “What now?”

Think of it like this: pain is the cut on your hand, but suffering is when you keep picking at the wound instead of letting it heal.

Why We Stay Stuck in Mental Loops

We often get trapped in suffering because:

We blame others or the world. It feels easier to point outward than to look inward. We identify with the pain. Instead of seeing pain as an experience, we make it our identity: “I am broken,” “I am a failure.” We fear letting go. Sometimes suffering feels safer than moving forward—it’s familiar.

These loops feed themselves. The more we entertain them, the stronger they grow.

Interrupting the Cycle

The way out starts with awareness. The next time you notice yourself spiraling in negative thoughts, pause and say out loud:

“I’m choosing how long I stay here.”

This one sentence does two powerful things:

•It interrupts the automatic mental loop.

•It reminds you that you have agency, even if you can’t control the event itself.

Suddenly, you are no longer at the mercy of your thoughts.You are the one deciding how long they stay.

Taking Back the Power

Breaking free from suffering doesn’t mean ignoring pain. It means facing pain honestly, but refusing to let it control your future. Here are steps to help shift your perspective:

Name it. Acknowledge the pain for what it is. Suppressing it only makes it louder. Challenge it. Ask yourself: “Is this thought helping me heal, or is it keeping me stuck?” Replace it. Shift focus toward solutions, learning, or acceptance. Even small actions—like journaling, exercising, or reaching out to a friend—begin to rewire your response. Practice ownership. Instead of “Why did this happen to me?” ask “What can I do with this now?”

The Long Game: Building Mental Resilience

The more often you practice interrupting suffering, the more natural it becomes. Over time, you’ll notice the gap between pain and peace getting shorter. You’ll still experience hard things—life doesn’t stop being life—but you’ll no longer stay trapped in cycles of unnecessary suffering.

In the end, taking back the power is about recognizing that while we cannot always control what happens to us, we can always control our response.

Pain knocks on everyone’s door. But suffering? That’s an invitation we don’t have to accept.