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How to Suffer Well: Timeless Knowledge on Dealing with Hardship and Becoming Anguish-Proof
Your capacity to handle suffering determines where you get in life. How do you want to live?
Life is tough, so you better get a helmet. Life is not a walk in the park. You'll run into pain, anguish, and obstacles. But who says that they need to affect you?
Build immunity to emotional, mental, and physical discomfort and suffering. It can be trained.
How to Suffer Well is a literal guidebook to defeating the voices in your head that tell you to give up. Instead, they'll be replaced with voices that tell you it'll be okay, this will pass, and life goes happily on.
It might sound difficult, but this is all teachable. You'll learn how to become the most zen person you know. Wouldn't it be nice to only experience the positive side of emotions?
How to tolerate the rigors of life without collapsing. Increase your mental pain tolerance to that of superhuman levels.
Peter Hollins has studied psychology and peak human performance for over a dozen years and is a bestselling author. He has worked with a multitude of individuals to unlock their potential and path towards success. His writing draws on his academic, coaching, and research experience.
Greatly expand your comfort zone and build layers of mental armor to ensure your happiness.
Life is tough, so you better get a helmet. Life is not a walk in the park. You'll run into pain, anguish, and obstacles. But who says that they need to affect you?
Build immunity to emotional, mental, and physical discomfort and suffering. It can be trained.
How to Suffer Well is a literal guidebook to defeating the voices in your head that tell you to give up. Instead, they'll be replaced with voices that tell you it'll be okay, this will pass, and life goes happily on.
It might sound difficult, but this is all teachable. You'll learn how to become the most zen person you know. Wouldn't it be nice to only experience the positive side of emotions?
How to tolerate the rigors of life without collapsing. Increase your mental pain tolerance to that of superhuman levels.
Peter Hollins has studied psychology and peak human performance for over a dozen years and is a bestselling author. He has worked with a multitude of individuals to unlock their potential and path towards success. His writing draws on his academic, coaching, and research experience.
Greatly expand your comfort zone and build layers of mental armor to ensure your happiness.
217 pages, Paperback
Published March 21, 2022
99 people are currently reading
504 people want to read
About the author
Peter Hollins
157 books374 followersPeter Hollins is a bestselling author, human psychology researcher, and a student of the human condition. He possesses a BS in psychology and a graduate degree.
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
February 18, 2025
How to Suffer Well by Peter Hollins is a refreshing take on dealing with life's inevitable hardships. Instead of avoiding suffering, Hollins encourages us to face it head-on and use it as an opportunity for growth. The book offers practical strategies for building mental resilience and shifting our perspective on adversity.
What stands out is how accessible the advice is. Hollins breaks down complex ideas into simple, actionable steps, using insights from psychology and philosophy to show that while suffering is part of life, it doesn’t have to define us. His message is empowering—suffering can be a teacher, and how we respond to it is what truly matters.
While the advice can feel repetitive at times, it serves to drive home the key point: we can control how we react to adversity. If you’re looking for a thoughtful, practical guide on how to build emotional resilience and face life’s challenges with strength, "How to Suffer Well" is an insightful read.
What stands out is how accessible the advice is. Hollins breaks down complex ideas into simple, actionable steps, using insights from psychology and philosophy to show that while suffering is part of life, it doesn’t have to define us. His message is empowering—suffering can be a teacher, and how we respond to it is what truly matters.
While the advice can feel repetitive at times, it serves to drive home the key point: we can control how we react to adversity. If you’re looking for a thoughtful, practical guide on how to build emotional resilience and face life’s challenges with strength, "How to Suffer Well" is an insightful read.
March 4, 2024
I found this book very helpful. My family has been going through some truly unbelievable personal trials, and coping with ourselves and our reactions to these trials has proved to be as difficult as solving the trials themselves. I have a tendency towards negative thinking and despairing. I am admittedly miserable to be around when I am suffering. This book will not remove the suffering (in fact, accepting its ever-presence is part of the process), but it provided helpful suggestions, reminders, and mental resets that were a nice, outside objective voice. I was surprised at the amount of helpful Eastern thoughts and philosophies this book offered. No one religion is promoted or ascribed to necessarily, but the points made were helpful. The last chapter seemed very “out there” to me. It discussed the importance of humor, and while I definitely believe in the point being made, it felt like a chapter in which the author got to air all his personal opinions about things (most of which I happen to agree with) and a random smattering of comic quotes. But it just felt incongruous with the rest of the book. I highlighted many things and will come back many times to savor the help this book offered to keep me afloat in our hard times.
May 2, 2024
The excellency of this book lies in presenting (ancient & modern) philosophies together while retaining the eloquence in knitting the ideas under "Suffering".
Religions and philosophical studies around the world propound a good life. But what does a good life constitute? Legends, kings of the past, rich, poor and the sick and healthy all suffer. Is suffering an emotion or a psychological need like hunger?
If the above questions puzzles you. I highly recommend to pick this without a second thought. Be reminded while the book is rich of wisdom the results are tied in application.
Religions and philosophical studies around the world propound a good life. But what does a good life constitute? Legends, kings of the past, rich, poor and the sick and healthy all suffer. Is suffering an emotion or a psychological need like hunger?
If the above questions puzzles you. I highly recommend to pick this without a second thought. Be reminded while the book is rich of wisdom the results are tied in application.
March 27, 2025
Some books comfort you; others shake you up. How to Suffer Well by Peter Hollins does a bit of both. It doesn’t promise a life free from suffering—because that’s impossible—but it does hand you a manual for navigating it without losing yourself.
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Hollins approaches suffering not as a poetic tragedy but as a practical reality. He doesn’t dwell on abstract philosophies or vague motivational talk. Instead, he lays out concrete ways to reshape our relationship with pain—whether it’s heartbreak, failure, or life simply refusing to play fair. He dismantles the myth that suffering is purely negative, showing instead how it can be a tool for growth if we learn to handle it differently.
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The strength of this book lies in its directness. Hollins presents strategies that feel doable: training yourself to endure discomfort, changing the way you *think* about suffering, and recognizing when pain is a signal for change rather than just something to endure. His tone is neither overly academic nor condescending—it’s like a firm but understanding mentor guiding you through the worst of it.
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This is not a book for those looking for quick-fix positivity. It demands reflection and a willingness to confront discomfort rather than avoid it. But if you’re in the middle of a rough patch or simply want to build mental resilience, How to Suffer Well is a book worth picking up. It won’t make suffering disappear, but it will teach you how to carry it better.
.
Hollins approaches suffering not as a poetic tragedy but as a practical reality. He doesn’t dwell on abstract philosophies or vague motivational talk. Instead, he lays out concrete ways to reshape our relationship with pain—whether it’s heartbreak, failure, or life simply refusing to play fair. He dismantles the myth that suffering is purely negative, showing instead how it can be a tool for growth if we learn to handle it differently.
.
The strength of this book lies in its directness. Hollins presents strategies that feel doable: training yourself to endure discomfort, changing the way you *think* about suffering, and recognizing when pain is a signal for change rather than just something to endure. His tone is neither overly academic nor condescending—it’s like a firm but understanding mentor guiding you through the worst of it.
.
This is not a book for those looking for quick-fix positivity. It demands reflection and a willingness to confront discomfort rather than avoid it. But if you’re in the middle of a rough patch or simply want to build mental resilience, How to Suffer Well is a book worth picking up. It won’t make suffering disappear, but it will teach you how to carry it better.
January 27, 2025
How to Suffer Well by Peter Hollins is a book that feels like a comforting friend who sits beside you during tough times, offering wisdom and guidance. It’s not about avoiding pain or hardship but learning how to embrace them with resilience and grace. Hollins presents profound insights on how we can reshape our mindset to withstand life’s inevitable challenges and still find moments of joy and meaning.
What struck me most is how practical and relatable the advice feels—it’s not about quick fixes but about cultivating strength over time. The strategies shared resonate deeply, especially in today’s world, where mental fortitude is more crucial than ever. The idea of expanding your comfort zone and developing emotional resilience feels empowering and actionable.
Published by Penguin India, this book is a gentle reminder that while suffering is unavoidable, how we respond to it defines our happiness and growth. It’s an essential read for anyone looking to navigate life’s hardships with courage and calm. Highly recommended!
What struck me most is how practical and relatable the advice feels—it’s not about quick fixes but about cultivating strength over time. The strategies shared resonate deeply, especially in today’s world, where mental fortitude is more crucial than ever. The idea of expanding your comfort zone and developing emotional resilience feels empowering and actionable.
Published by Penguin India, this book is a gentle reminder that while suffering is unavoidable, how we respond to it defines our happiness and growth. It’s an essential read for anyone looking to navigate life’s hardships with courage and calm. Highly recommended!
April 1, 2025
Have you ever thought about why things are always under control for some and they have a rational approach to their life. But it is to be noted the situations we encounter or feel like the end of the world are just not permanent the fade out over a period.
This book gives you insights on how to deal with such end of the world things or situations and make yourself rational being by not taking things personally and to set a right attitude to make life more meaningful. This is a definite read by people who can't decide what to do in critical situations which makes them feel more pain and anger which leads to a emotional in stability and suffering.
Follow for most recommendations.
This book gives you insights on how to deal with such end of the world things or situations and make yourself rational being by not taking things personally and to set a right attitude to make life more meaningful. This is a definite read by people who can't decide what to do in critical situations which makes them feel more pain and anger which leads to a emotional in stability and suffering.
Follow for most recommendations.
October 1, 2023
2022 was a very difficult year for me, and I am still recovering. I don't have a habit of purchasing self-help books, but this one caught my eye.
I found it helpful - although it feels like a bot wrote it. One chapter on Buddhist philosophy, another on the Stoics, another on Viktor Frankl - and I am a fan of his, and one on humour which seems very out of place and does not read well.
Still, helpful.
I found it helpful - although it feels like a bot wrote it. One chapter on Buddhist philosophy, another on the Stoics, another on Viktor Frankl - and I am a fan of his, and one on humour which seems very out of place and does not read well.
Still, helpful.
November 25, 2024
It is a thoughtful and practical guide on transforming adversity and suffering into meaningful growth.
It is an excellent resource for anyone looking to approach life’s challenges with more grace, wisdom, and resilience. It’s a valuable read for those seeking to grow through adversity and cultivate a mindset that turns pain into purpose.
It is an excellent resource for anyone looking to approach life’s challenges with more grace, wisdom, and resilience. It’s a valuable read for those seeking to grow through adversity and cultivate a mindset that turns pain into purpose.
January 5, 2025
Excellent series on discipline
I am a fan of peter hollins writing. His series on living a disciplined life covers so many angles of mental mastery. This book took a nice philosophical approach that resonated deeply. Thanks.
I am a fan of peter hollins writing. His series on living a disciplined life covers so many angles of mental mastery. This book took a nice philosophical approach that resonated deeply. Thanks.
January 9, 2023
Quick read with some great advice
Read
February 12, 2024Super easy read. I would highly suggest this book. I really love this book a lot.
Pain is inevitable, but suffering is not.
I essiclaly loved the stoic and buddist parts.
Pain is inevitable, but suffering is not.
I essiclaly loved the stoic and buddist parts.
July 25, 2025
book helped me realise to not get upset by things out of my control. plays well in my opinion into learning Stoicism.
November 23, 2025
buen libro para meditar. pero hay mejores!
June 27, 2025
very simple
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews