Humans can either soften or increase the bitterness of their trials according to the manner in which they view earthly life. Their suffering is greater if they consider its duration to be long. Consequently, those who look at things from the standpoint of the  spirit life understand corporeal existence at  a glance. They see it as a dot in the infinite; they grasp its brevity, and they tell themselves that this painful moment will soon be over. The certainty of a happier future that is not far off sustains and encourages them, and instead of complaining, they thank heaven for the pains that enable them to evolve. On the other hand, for those who see only corporeal life, pain seems unending to them and it presses on them with all its weight. The result of the former way of looking at life is that it decreases the importance of the things of this world, leading humans to moderate their desires and to be content with their station in life without envying others’,  thereby attenuating the mental effect of the setbacks and disappointments they experience. Thus, they derive from it a calmness and resignation as useful to the health of the body as to that of the soul, whereas with jealousy, envy and ambition they willfully give in to torment and thus increase the misery and anguish of their short existence.