I first learned about the Four Noble Truths in my sophomore (it had to be my second and not first) year of High School. I know this as a fact because I distinctly remember being yelled at my a fellow classmate when I raised my hand to recite the first truth.

I remember the moment clearly because he reacted to my answer with such anger and force that he not only revealed that he had not completed his homework assignment, but also made it seem as if I were the one who had first discovered and shared the understanding with our group.

I assume now, reflecting back at his response, that maybe the knowledge of this great understanding was a bit too much for his teenage mind to grasp, since he had just barely started his life’s journey and may have had some hope that things would only get better and better from where he stood, or, maybe, he was simply in denial like most people tend to be.