The Three Sources of Suffering

by Jeff Salzman | Sep 23, 2022 | Shrink and Pundit

There are at least three distinct sources of human suffering, all related, and none reducible to the others. They are:

Nature—the unique combinations of temperaments and constitutional strengths and weaknesses that each of us is born with.
Trauma—the Big T and small t traumas that are ubiquitous in human development, and which leave us more sensitized and vulnerable rather than more resilient.
Nurture—the sum total of our family, cultural, and environmental experiences that help shape who we are and how we deal with the world, for better or worse.

Dr. Keith and I dive into these three sources of suffering, explaining how each contributes to the challenges of human existence. We show ways to use this knowledge to grow towards living a happy ending at the beginning of something wonderful.