Life Aian't Easy, I'ts Damme Hard!. Review on Road Less Traveled, The - M. Scott Peck

'' Life's a series of problems. Do we want to moan about them or solve them?'' That's the challenge which echoes through the pages of Dr Scott Peck's classic ''The Road Less Travelled.'' It's a challenge to embrace life as it is and not as it ought to be!

Life's full of problems which need solving. This as Dr Peck explains, takes time and total discipline. One has to tolerate discomfort, anguish, frustration associated with the problem as one thinks up the appropriate solution. Most of us want ''quick fixes.'' We want to avoid the pain and ''legitimate Suffering'' attached to the problem. But in this way, we only succeed badly, as the problem sooner or later resurfaces with a vengeance.

Life aian't easy. Why? Because the way to reality aian't easy as well. We don't get born with maps of reality! We make them up as live, and that aian't easy. Look, says the Doc., all of us are growing up evry passing day, the world is evr changing as well. And that of course, means that our maps of reality have to be revised in the face of new information. Now that painful. Even more painful is the fact that our maps are open to criticism and challenge from other map-makers! People tell lies precisely because of wanting to avoid the pain of challenge and its consenquences.

Now think of this: what map was Hitler for example using? Where did he get that from? Dr Peck believes that we get our world views mostly from our culture, our religion and science. The accident of one's birth claerly is crucial. But for the most part this is beyond our manipulation. To love, to extend yourself to others demands a moving against the inertia of laziness (work) or the resistance of fear (courage).

To move to someone, ther's the risk he/she will move away, leaving you more painfully alone than before. Love something - a pet, a person, a plant and it will die. Trust somebody and may be hurt, depend on someone and you may be let down. Indeed if you determined in life not to risk again, you'll have to do without many things: no children, no marrying, no ambition, frienship _ all the things that make life meaningful and significant. Move in any direction and you pain and joy are yours as a reward! A full life will be full of pain. But the only alternative is not to live fully or to live at all!