"Too much comfort leads to heedlessness"

 

"Too much comfort leads to heedlessness"- heard this statement in a podcast. It is an interesting and mind provoking statement. 

Heedlessness in my mind is being unaware or oblivious. Living heedlessly to me is like living with little awareness of the state one is in externally and internally. 

When I search the web I came across many topics about comfort leading to complacency. The most striking being Derek Doepker's : "Comfort leads to complacency. Complacency is the cause of stagnation. Stagnation in your life leads to bed sores on your soul,"

A person who has a smooth sailing life has little opportunities to overcome difficulties and may not be as resilient as one who grows up in more challenging circumstances. They may also be less appreciative of the world around them. For example a child whose parents cannot afford to own a house and is forced to live with relatives will truly appreciate a home no matter how small and basic once the family manages to own one. Compare it with another child who takes for granted having his own room and sees no cause to be glad for it.

We often chase comfort and pleasantness and push away negative experiences. However if we accept and live with the negative emotions that arise from challenging circumstances, we grow stronger and feel more confident. In fact we may even want to seek out the next challenge to spurt our growth. For instance when tasked to do something really stressful , for example when engaging a very difficult client, a  retiree therapist like me would feel "Oh No why am I doing this?" in between brainstorming how best to handle the case. However the satisfaction from a fruitful session is rewarding and can inspire one to do more.

Similarly a person who engages in addictive pursuits to suppress the unpleasant voidness or emptiness they feel inside will just be kicking the can down the road. Being aware of the emotion and accepting it as part and parcel of being human is a form of catharsis leading to initiatives to manage it better.

Looks like embracing discomfort is part and parcel of growing and living a richer life.