Swapping pain and love...

From "The Body In Pain" by Elaine Scarry:

"...there is no language for PAIN, that it (more than any phenomenon) resists verbal objectification."

"... PAIN enters into our midst as at once something that cannot be denied and something that cannot be confirmed."

"To have PAIN is to have certainty; to hear about it is to have doubt."

Although these words were written about pain - that universal experience no one can share, yet everyone shares eventually - they are equally true of love.

Replace 'pain' with love in each of the preceding sentences. Are they not just as true? As relevant to life?

"...there is no language for LOVE, that it (more than any phenomenon) resists verbal objectification."

"... LOVE enters into our midst as at once something that cannot be denied and something that cannot be confirmed."

"To have LOVE is to have certainty; to hear about it is to have doubt."

Scarry continues:

"...it (pain) remains inarticulate or else the moment it first becomes articulate it silences all else; the moment language bodies forth the reality of pain, it makes all further statements and interpretations seem ludicrous and inappropriate, as hollow as the world content that disappears in the head of the person suffering."

Again, replacing 'pain' with 'love' we see the interchangeability of the two?

Love, then, is as universal as pain, an all-consuming state, that cannot be spoken of in ways that fully capture the experience - yet, once experienced, it cannot be forgotten. It cannot be removed from a person's mind, let alone their soul: it is now an integral and intimate part. To be experienced it must be experienced first-hand, it is intensely personal... it can, however, be shared but only by those who have experience.

It cannot be shared by mere words, though. But by compassionate and caring glances... by tears... and touch?

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Amongst other things, Dr. Gary Redfeather (Keil) was a Founding member and Director of the?Growth Leaders Network, LLC,?a community of leaders dedicated to growing themselves, evolving together, and creating a Growth Culture in their organizations and world - transforming the challenges of our time into opportunities for our evolution.?His professional tenure before the GLN focused on how the brain and nervous system, literally, rewire themselves (a process known as neuroplasticity) during the establishment of chronic pain conditions, and how medical and non-medical interventions must be used concurrently to bring a person's life back from the crushing effects of unrelenting pain.?His life as an ultramarathoner and ardent triathlete show how a normal person (which he considers himself to be) can harness the various energy sources that surround us to achieve greatness, especially following trauma and tragedy.?Something as true for individuals as it is for businesses and societies. He is now an Executive Coach for ExecOnline and helps facilitate multiple leader-development programs in the U.K and U.S. He can be reached at [email protected]. Interested in his surname change? See https://bit.ly/redfeathersurname for details.