Right off the bat, I’d like to let you know that I might not be able to deliver on the promise of making this simple.

I tried my best though.

This week’s letter my friend, is all about pain.

Let’s dive in…

Pain

Pain is an authentic source of information to figure out how to live a good life.

It’s not consciously created (usually) and happens when we’re physically or mentally in a state that isn’t beneficial to the goals of our organism.

Pain acts as a compass to take action. Action to produce a positive state of body & mind.

That thing you refer to as “I” or “ME” is the thing that perceives the body and the mind (sensory information, thoughts, emotions, beliefs). 

You therefore aren’t the mind controlling the body, at least perception-wise. You are the thing outside of those, managing and perceiving both. There might be no evidence for your perception being accurate, but pain is undoubtedly a reality. 

Pain becomes the most real thing by that. It’s a truth.

Since pain happens because we desire a positive state of body and mind, the most effective method to end pain would be to stop the desire for positivity. 

This is casual Buddhist philosophy, which is easier said than done. It usually results in focus not painlessness. A nice mind-practice with an accurate logic backing it.

Being aware of this stuff, the proper thing to do is to solve the problems that cause pain, not to magically stop desire as such.

Seeking truth and seeking a good life become one and the same thing when deciding to take pain as a compass to solve the problems that cause it. 

These problems are burdens. We didn’t create them ourselves but are confronted with them. They are real because the pain that causes them exists for a fact. It’s a truth you know exists.

Solving the problems that cause our pain is, again, our compass. Our compass for manifesting a good life and for seeking what truthfully exists. 

Now the way to stop caring about pain is then to solve the problems that cause it, and doing that without expecting positivity in the future.

The opposite of pain is happiness. Being happy is a blessing and an indication of being close to truth, but it’s not an authentic source to use to create happiness. You don’t know the ceiling of happiness, so you’d be biased in making decisions from that perspective.

What is more probable to happen with this approach is a delusion induced by detrimental behavior that only causes momentary happiness (drugs, video games, TIKTOK, etc.). 

If you would act to produce happiness you’d use your imagination to come up with potential methods. But you have no evidence that is nearly as true as pain and therefore no better method to produce happiness than to eliminate pain.

It’s also important to note how important collaboration with other humans is. (preferably truth-loving scientists) 

If you didn't know that going through the pain of physical exercise would decrease fatigue and disease, you might never go to the gym.

Some pains are smaller than others and should be sacrificed to eliminate the big ones. 

Living a good life therefore means solving the problems that cause the pains you personally perceive. 

If you don’t personally perceive the pain you have no proof for its existence. 

Ironically it seems to be the case that those who have their shit together also are the ones serving humanity the most. 

Side note: if you’re donating to eliminate the pain of a starving child in the third world you first and foremost eliminate the pain of feeling like a wealthy western pig who has no positive impact on society. 

All that being said.

I hope to have given you the blueprint.

The ultimate life blueprint.

Will you use it?

Or not?

Whatever you do please delete TikTok from your phone.

Do that at least. A big step forward.

See you next Saturday!

-Ömer

By the way, I ghostwrite newsletters. → link

Also, checkout the Ozmania community. → link