Misery seems to be an inseparable part of life, and the circumstances life presents often determine the amount of suffering people experience.

But is this assumption true?

The Chronicles of Misery

To dive deep and understand misery and its origins, I suggest looking at one of the ancient scriptures that discusses human suffering. This book is called Genesis, and it tells the story of Adam and Eve and the Tree of Knowledge.

Misery as a Key to Human Development

Often, without further observation, people tend to view life from a flat perspective, blaming others or circumstances for their own misery rather than asking, ‘What can I learn from this situation?

By learning a story and its deeper meaning, you can understand how a change in mindset can occur. This happens because it’s about someone else, which allows the ego to step aside and not interfere with creating boundaries.

The Foundations of Misery: Shame and Guilt

As we know from the story of Adam and Eve, something strange happened there. The story tells of God creating a man and instructing him to eat from all the trees in the Garden of Eden except for the tree of knowledge.

Afterward, God made Eve from Adam. Eve then meets the snake, who suggests that God will not kill them; instead, they will become like God, knowing good and evil.

Then, they decided to eat from the tree of knowledge. Their eyes were opened, and they felt shame for being naked, so they made themselves clothes.

They hid from God because they were ashamed of forsaking His word by eating from the tree of knowledge. They wanted to be like God, knowing good and evil, but didn’t achieve the results they desired.

As a result, they intended to live in misery for committing this sin.

This whole story doesn’t make sense…

Is Shame a Positive Feeling?

Like in the story of Adam and Eve, they were initially unashamed of their nakedness.

But after eating the fruit of knowledge, it is written that their eyes were opened, and they realized they were naked.

Then, feeling ashamed, they made clothes for themselves as a solution.

God asked Adam, ‘Who told you that you are naked?’ This wasn’t truly a question but an idea, implying a change in awareness.

Before eating the fruit, Adam was someone else—his body was spiritual, needing no clothes for cover. But after eating, he became fully human, and natural urges entered his mind, bringing with them the shame of nakedness.

From this perspective, Adam and Eve’s shame wasn’t from committing a sin, but from realizing what had happened to them—where they once were and where they are now.

The positive aspect of shame is in understanding the consequences of our actions and taking responsibility for them.

On the other hand, the negative aspect of shame is that it lowers my self-image due to mistakes I’ve made, creating a cycle of blame.

This is a narrow perspective on my actions, focusing on fault without taking true responsibility for them.

Guilt: A Pathway to Growth

As a result of shame permeating within, guilt emerges. In the story of the Tree of Knowledge, God comes to Adam and asks, “Who gave you that fruit?” Neither wants to take responsibility for the guilt: Adam blames Eve, and Eve blames the snake.

Then, punishment comes to them, and the misery of human consciousness begins—a way of thinking that my suffering comes from the actions of someone else.

Different Approaches to Understanding Life

By taking a different approach to understanding this story, you can gain a deeper insight into your own life.

This interpretation of the Tree of Knowledge is explored in The Levels of Man, a book by the Jewish scholar Rabbi Yosef Yozel Horwitz.

First of all, in life, we need to leave behind the assumption that we’re always seeing the full picture. Most of the time, the human mind cannot catch all the scenarios at once.

Understanding this is not about any individual but rather about a divine creation. As described in the Book of Genesis, Adam and Eve were created by God’s divine power. They did not know good or evil, right or wrong; they were like angels. Their bodies were so divine that they had no need for clothing.

From this perspective, you can understand that it wasn’t just about the fruit, and they weren’t hungry.

Taking the Right Actions Despite the Misery They May Create

Adam and Eve heard the advice, but they were confused and realized that the life they were meant to live in the Garden of Eden should not be without difficulties. It seemed as though the fruit was the only challenge they needed to overcome.

They desired to be in a place where they could face challenges and become better versions of themselves; they wanted a human life, not an angelic one.

Then the snake approached Eve and revealed the secret: the fruit wouldn’t kill them instantly. Instead, by facing both good and bad within themselves, they would grow stronger. Through that struggle, they would become godly, gaining the ability to choose the right path.

The thing they might not have considered was how much time it would take or whether they would succeed at all; that was something the snake didn’t tell them.

That’s when misery was born, and it was also when redemption was created—a way to liberate the mind, gain freedom, and grow stronger mentally.

The Challenges in Your Life Choose You

You are on a mission here; you were sent from your divine essence to be human like everyone else on Earth. Sometimes, it feels as though your life is full of struggles, and you may think you aren’t doing anything significant for humanity. That’s a lie we sometimes tell ourselves, or worse, allow someone else to tell us.

It is important to view life not as something that happens to you, but as something that happens for you. The challenges you face are opportunities to become a little more godly from the place you are right now.

Till the Full Liberation of Humanity, remembering this idea can help you gain strength to move forward.

Blessings be upon you.