१८ डिसेंबर, २०२३

"Should he feel another stone coming on, he tells us, he won’t 'take some bothersome precaution … He who fears he will suffer, already suffers from his fear.'"

"Montaigne will instead do just as he pleases, right up to the last moment, and his refusal to let his pain prevent him from enjoying himself remains endearing—and more than a little inspirational for those in a similar position."

Montaigne, writing about kidney stones in the 16th century, is quoted in "Seven Books That Actually Capture What Sickness Is Like/These titles aren’t interested in sticking to a simple narrative about sickness and health—they explore the textures of human life" (The Atlantic).

It's a great line, applicable to so much more than kidney stones: "He who fears he will suffer, already suffers from his fear."

१७ टिप्पण्या:

n.n म्हणाले...

A prelude to conception of a phobia and other... uh, burdens.

gilbar म्हणाले...

we have NOTHING TO FEAR.. Except the unbelievably unbearable PAIN of pissing out stones

Howard म्हणाले...

This is my approach before swimming the 200 butterfly or the 400 IM in a race. You just have to block it out of your mind the pain and agony that's coming. The starting gun and then subsequently he cold water hits and then it becomes a heroic journey to be attacked and completed. Mindlessness is a powerful tool.

Ampersand म्हणाले...

Glib and foolish.
The fear of kidney stones causes less than 1% of the discomfort of actual kidney stones. I know this from experience.

By contrast, the fear of some things, such as competing, can cause more discomfort than actual competition.

It's all about comparative discomfort.

Sebastian म्हणाले...

"He who fears he will suffer, already suffers from his fear."

And he who fears fear itself, already suffers from that fear, a suffering that, as we all know, can only be alleviated by the ministrations of Big Brother.

Joe Smith म्हणाले...

Sounds like the guru (The Sphinx) in 'Mystery Men.'

"To learn my teachings, I must first teach you how to learn."

"He who questions training only trains himself at asking questions."

"When you care what is outside, what is inside cares for you."

: )

tommyesq म्हणाले...

I would analogize this to non-physical things, like the week before a trial being worse than the trial itself in terms of anxiety and tension.

Jaq म्हणाले...
ही टिप्पणी लेखकाना हलविली आहे.
Maynard म्हणाले...

I had a kidney stone blockage about 7 years ago. It was the singular most painful experience of my life. Thank modern medicine for lithotripsy.

Rather than fear another kidney stone, I gave up all protein supplements and severely limited my kale and spinach intake, upon advice from my MD. No problems with stones again.

Kirk Parker म्हणाले...

This is about TDS, right?

JCann म्हणाले...

"Illness is the doctor to whom we pay most heed; to kindness,to knowledge we make promises only, pain we obey." Marcel Proust, Sodom and Gomorrah

Leland म्हणाले...

This is about TDS, right?

I thought, with the talk of suffering, it was about the new Rolling Stones tour.

D Books म्हणाले...

“A coward dies a thousand times, but a brave man only once”. - Shakespeare, probably

Michael K म्हणाले...

Samuel Pepys kept his bladder stone, which was tennis ball size, and celebrated its removal every year.

stlcdr म्हणाले...

What, is this now kidney stone commentariat? Count me as part of that club.

The sentiment is a good one, but misplaced, I think with kidney stones. The pain is so bad with kidney stones that it drives you to do something about it.

The fear of, for example, your car breaking down and having no means to correct the situation, while not taking action to accommodate or correct, is a 'consuming' fear. Or the fear - most often imaginary - of something that one cannot do anything about, and usually does not affect them. Of the latter, is it truly a fear, is is it the perception of fear?

walter म्हणाले...

But I would not feel so all alone...
You know the thing.

iowan2 म्हणाले...

Yes the "a coward dies a thousand times" is what I instantly thought of.