This chapter discusses suffering and the nature of suffering, which has been given little attention despite the fact that physicians are obligated to relieve human suffering. The majority of the chapter is spent discussing three main points: suffering is experienced by persons, suffering occurs when the impending destruction of a person is perceived, and suffering can occur in relation to any aspect of a person. The author presents a very simple topography of a person that may help in understanding both (...) suffering and the relationship between suffering and the goals of medicine. (shrink)