The Story
About the Project
The Value of Suffering project, founded by Heidi Miller, has grown out of extensive personal suffering as well as the observed suffering of loved ones. Through experience, observation, and much reflection, Heidi was convinced that suffering is valuable to individuals, families, communities, and even nations. Through continued study and further reflection, she saw the destructive effect our modern, Western attitude toward suffering has on everyone impacted by suffering.
The Attitude toward Suffering
The modern attitude is that of anger and bitterness toward suffering experienced, often resulting from a feeling of entitlement that our lives should be free from suffering. The destructive effect is on themselves and everyone on whom they have an effect: namely, that not only does their attitude make their suffering worse, but it often prevents them from receiving the value their suffering could have produced.
Suffering is valuable in many ways: emotionally, spiritually, relationally, and sometimes professionally and physically. But when we are stuck in the “Why me? I don’t deserve this!” frame of mind, the transformative fertile ground that suffering prepared lies fallow rather than producing a harvest of character growth, relational growth, resilience, and strength. Seeing—and experiencing—all of this, Heidi has been driven to pursue the topic of suffering, its value, and what it can often produce.
The Community
around suffering
Heidi’s goal in the work she is doing on the value of suffering is nothing less than the transformation of individuals and communities from being victimized by their suffering to flourishing through it. This begins with changing the way sufferers view and engage their suffering and the suffering of others: that they will view their suffering differently, asking “How can I grow through this?” rather than “Why me?” and that they will engage their suffering differently, leaning into it rather than fleeing from it.
Meet Heidi Miller
Heidi is currently pursuing her PhD in philosophy at the University of Glasgow. Her research focus and dissertation is on the value of suffering.
Suffering affects us all and, often, we cannot escape it. If you are interested in learning more, please sign up for our newsletter. If you find this project valuable, we also gratefully accept donations to cover the cost of graduate school. We invite you to join us on the journey to flourish through our suffering, rather than withering from it.