Second arrow
# Second arrow

The second arrow is a term for self-inflicted suffering, taken from a Buddhist parable. The story describes a person who is shot by two arrows in succession. The first arrow is described as pain from unavoidable external sources, and the second arrow is pain from worrying about that pain--or, the arrow one shoots at oneself. The Buddhist philosophy on how to prevent, mitigate, or manage that pain is similar to the Stoic approach.

