Maxim

Life contains suffering; begin by accepting it.

“Birth is stressful, aging is stressful, death is stressful; sorrow, lamentation, pain, distress, & despair are stressful.”

— The Buddha, Dhammacakkappavattana Sutta (SN 56.11), tr. Thanissaro Bhikkhu · source Verified
Buddhism · Ancient (before 200 BCE)
Translation: Thanissaro Bhikkhu (free distribution)

Not a counsel of despair, but a starting point. Naming the hardness of life honestly frees us to respond to it with courage rather than surprise.

Related expressions

“Man that is born of a woman is of few days and full of trouble.”
— Book of Job, Job 14:1 (KJV)
Watch on YouTube: BibleProject: The Book of Job ↗BibleProject gives an animated overview of Job
JudaismAncient (before 200 BCE)relation: expressesVerifiedsourceTranslation: King James Version (public domain)

Moral Rank 40.6 · Evidence E = 9.08

E = ln(1+1.75) + √1.75 + 3·1.75 + 1.5·1 = 9.08