Question

Question from Dancing with Skeletons:

Does the author suggest that difficult or tragic experiences can have any life-enhancing outcomes? If so, or if not, what is your belief on this subject? Can terrible hardships improve one’s understand of other parts of life?

Answer 1

Yes, the author is of the opinion that difficult or tragic experiences can have a life-enhancing outcome. Loss of a child is a feeling which is not acceptable to any mother in this world and hence is a tragic event in her life. However, women in Mali has become accustomed to this tragic event so badly that they have started to see this event as a normal part of their life. It is a basic human emotional outcome to mourne in public following a child's death which cannot be seen among mothers of Mali as it is completely against their custom and culture.

I am personally of the same opinion that the tragic events when happening constantly in the life of a person and that there is nothing that he can do as to change the same will naturally develop a resistance mode for survival. When an individual realizes that the tragic event is one happening to every person in his society and there is no cure to the same, he will begin to view life in an angle positive to bearing the tragic events. In Mali, it is seen that women are not interested in having many kids nor are happy with their married life. However, it is their tradition and culture which makes them change their attitude of life to survive in society. Any sort of emotion or thought if expressed in an opposite manner would isolate them from society which would worsen their overall life experience. Hence, it would be better to accept the norms of culture to lead a normal happy life.