For thousands of years, Buddhism has explored the human mind with a focus on suffering, mindfulness, and compassion. Modern psychology and psychiatry, though rooted in science, often echo these same principles.
The phrase “Suffering = Pain + Resistance” is a modern summary of a Buddhist teaching, often traced to interpretations of the Second Noble Truth and Buddhist psychology. While you won’t find the formula stated exactly this way in classical Buddhist texts, it’s a contemporary way of expressing an ancient insight.
The Core Idea of Suffering – Buddhism teaches that suffering is a natural part of life.
Modern therapies like Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and Acceptance & Commitment Therapy (ACT) also recognize that how we respond to our thoughts and feelings can either increase or reduce suffering.
1. Pain is inevitable
Pain—whether physical or emotional—is a part of human life. We all experience grief, loss, disappointment, illness, stress, etc. Pain itself cannot always be avoided nor should it be.
2. Resistance makes it worse
Suffering arises not just from the pain itself, but from how we resist or fight against it. Resistance can look like:
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Denying reality (“This shouldn’t be happening to me”).
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Clinging to how we wish things were.
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Pushing emotions down instead of feeling them.
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Overthinking or catastrophizing the situation.
This resistance multiplies the pain and turns it into suffering.
3. Acceptance reduces suffering
When we accept pain as part of the moment (without judgment, avoidance, or constant fighting), we take away the resistance factor. This doesn’t mean we like the pain or give up, but it means we stop feeding it with extra layers of struggle.
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Pain without resistance = just pain.
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Pain + resistance = suffering.
4. Practical example
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Pain only: You lose your job. It’s painful, stressful, and scary.
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Pain + resistance (suffering): You lose your job, and on top of that, you keep thinking “This is unfair, I’ll never recover, I can’t handle this.” The resistance magnifies the pain.
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Acceptance (less suffering): You lose your job, acknowledge the pain, and also allow yourself to see what steps can be taken next. The pain remains, but suffering is reduced.
Pain You’re stuck in traffic and will be late. + Resistance: You tell yourself, “This is unacceptable, people shouldn’t drive like this, my whole day is ruined. = Suffering: Instead of just sitting in traffic, you add layers of anger, tension, and anxiety, making it much more unbearable.
👉 In short: We don’t control pain, but we do influence our suffering by how we respond. Let’s work through pain and not resist it together.
