How important have sorrow and sadness been in your development as a human being?

This is a thought-provoking question.

I would say the murder of my mother when I was 7 was an extremely sad time for me; but I was too young to think of it as a time of development - though it is prime child development time according to current thinking - I was just missing my mom too much & hoping she would return.

That event definitely shaped & formed who I am today, as did other events that happened during my adolescense, teen & young adult years. (I intend to write the trilogy of my life once I fully retire & move to the country.)

There were happy times inter-mingled with sorrowful times, so its very difficult to say one thing impacted more than the other did.

I believe that EVERYTHING that has happened during my lifetime has developed the unique individual that I am. I can empathize, sympathize & help others to cope because I've experienced many things.

Sadness and sorrow have played a major roll in my development as a human.

I can say with certainty,that I have developed/grown much more in periods of great trial than I have of moments of happiness.

Yes - The changes experienced were for my better-ment, better understanding and better relationships.

I am grateful for the difficulties and challenges. I would not ever know true joy and peace if I had not been subject to them.

I think everything we go through in life, the good times and the bad - the pain, sadness, and sorrow, makes us the person who we are today.

If we didn't have all those experiences to build on, then we wouldn't be the same person we are today.

I speak from my own personal sorrows and sadness. Growing up was hard. I suppose it could have made me a bitter person today and I could have turned out a lot different than I did, but I took all that pain, sorrow, and sadness and decided to do something postive with it.

But I know of a family who has a mother with two sons. The mother is a drug addict. One son is in jail and one is a doctor. They were both raised by the same mother and went through the same living hell.... but one took the pain and let it build him up, and one let it destroy him.

So how you use your life experience's are really up to you in the long run.

It has actually been my sorrow and hardest times that made me turn further towards my Catholic faith, really embracing the presence of Christ in my life. There have been some low points in my life, but it was always through those that I became stronger as a person and more spiritually evolved. I'm thankful for the struggles, because rather than being obstacles, they've always put me on the right track.

I have greatly benefitted from the difficult and sorroful times in my life. When my mother died I learned to appreciate life. When I did poorly in school I learned the value of doing well.

One of the ways we learn as human beings is through "binary systems," or the principle of opposites. Ex. Good/Bad, Light/Dark, Large/Small, etc...

Despite the many apparent flaws in this teaching method, overall the concept is easy to understand and effective. It is easy to define what something is by saying precisely what it is not.

This type of teaching is just as effective emotionaly as it is physically, i.e. happy/sad, funny/serious, angry/calm, etc...

Thus, despite the limitations and flaws of teaching through the binary system (as I mentioned before), our understanding of what composses unhappiness teaches us to recognize REAL happiness.

Knowing what sorrow is, unfortunately, teaches us what it is like to NOT feel sorrow. Thus, because of these life lessons, I find that happiness becomes more attainable the more I understand what it is. During times of sorrow and trial I have had to stretch and grow as a human being. My difficulties have helped me change into a more positive, more grateful person.

Great question. Good luck to you and may you find true happiness.

If you don't know one, you can't know the other. A child (or adult, for that matter), given everything and sheltered to the point of not being allowed to feel uncomfortable feelings ends up being a spoiled, self-absorbed, brat who does not know how to relate to others or be empathetic.

Of course the same children who have been horribly abused and seen nothing but sadness and pain end up also being very dysfunctional. So you must have both not an extreme of one of the other.

Here's something from Khalil Gibran. I have found this to be true.

Then a woman said, 'Speak to us of Joy and Sorrow.'

And he answered:

Your joy is your sorrow unmasked.

And the selfsame well from which your laughter rises was oftentimes filled with your tears.

And how else can it be?

The deeper that sorrow carves into your being, the more joy you can contain.

Is not the cup that hold your wine the very cup that was burned in the potter's oven?

And is not the lute that soothes your spirit, the very wood that was hollowed with knives?

When you are joyous, look deep into your heart and you shall find it is only that which has given you sorrow that is giving you joy.

When you are sorrowful look again in your heart, and you shall see that in truth you are weeping for that which has been your delight.

Some of you say, 'Joy is greater than sorrow,' and others say, 'Nay, sorrow is the greater.'

But I say unto you, they are inseparable.

Together they come, and when one sits alone with you at your board, remember that the other is asleep upon your bed.

Verily you are suspended like scales between your sorrow and your joy.

Only when you are empty are you at standstill and balanced.

When the treasure-keeper lifts you to weigh his gold and his silver, needs must your joy or your sorrow rise or fall.

I had a very sad childhood. I decided to be a happy adult.