Mental Weakness Versus Mental Toughness (Jung)

S*** is hard. So, so hard.

The challenge behind the challenge is choosing “good” suffering over “bad” suffering.

Good suffering is the kind that gets you somewhere. It’s mental toughness.

Bad suffering is the kind that keeps you somewhere you don’t want to be. It’s (at times) a mental weakness or even illness.

Here’s how Jung framed the “bad” side:

The foundation of all mental illness is the unwillingness to experience legitimate suffering.

If we flip it to be about good suffering, we might add,

The foundation of all mental toughness is the willingness to experience legitimate suffering.

If it’s hard, you’re going to suffer. Just make sure you’re doing it for the right reasons.