"Pain"

"... One soon senses that pain has a sure and ineluctable hold. Nothing is more certain and unavoidable than pain; it resembles life's inescapable shadow or a gristmill grinding the grain ever finer and with ever more incisive rotation."

   Junger describes pain as unavoidable and certain, just as death.  It is something that we cannot escape, perhaps, we may be enticed to dismiss it but it will eventually crawl back. Perhaps the majority of people have not thought about pain in this respect, as an essential part of living and which will always accompany one in life. I believe that Junger is conveying what is the reality of things. One must suffer and endure pain, because it is part of life. Yet, as human beings we are taught to avoid situations that cause us pain when in fact, this is just an illusory principle. According to Junger, "our children's tales close with passages of heroes who, after having overcome many dangers, live out there lives in peace and happiness.  We hear such assurances with pleasure, for it is comforting for us to learn about a place removed from pain."  I don't believe that conformity and obedience is a solution to pain. Pain will occur, eventually, whether the state is at peace.