Steven LaChance Blog

“So this is hell. I’d never have believed it. You remember all we were told about the torture chambers, the fire and brimstone, the ‘burning marl.’ Old wives’ tales! There’s no need for red-hot pokers. Hell is—other people!” No Exit, Jean-Paul Sartre

Sartre’s famous line really makes you think. It challenges the old-school images of hell and makes you wonder if our real torment comes from the way we treat one another. For a long time, I’ve wrestled with the idea of hell—wondering if it’s some far-off place of endless punishment, or if it’s something we create inside ourselves from guilt and broken relationships. My early musings, once captured in a story about a haunted truck stop in Crazy, A Prayer for the Dead, have grown into a broader reflection on how we often make our own hell through our actions.

When Sartre says “hell is other people,” he’s hinting at something profound: our conflicts, our inability to empathize, and our everyday misunderstandings can trap us in a cycle of suffering. It’s not some fiery dungeon with red-hot pokers that burns us; it’s the painful memories of our mistakes, the lingering regret when we hurt someone, and the weight of guilt that we carry long after the moment has passed. In a way, our punishment isn’t handed down from some external force—it’s something we inflict on ourselves. Think about that old Buddhist idea: “All that we are is the result of what we have thought.” Our minds can turn into prisons, creating infernos out of our own regrets and unatoned wrongs.

Different religious traditions see suffering in similar ways, even if they use different images and words. In Christianity, for example, the idea that “the wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23) reminds us that our choices have serious consequences. It’s not just about fire and brimstone—it can also mean the sorrow of feeling separated from divine love, especially when we’re painfully aware of our own shortcomings.

Islam offers a similar view. The Quran warns that “the punishment of your Lord will be severe” (Quran 3:131), a reminder that neglecting kindness and justice can lead us down a dark path of inner despair. Here, the focus is not just on physical punishment, but on the long-lasting effects of our actions on our souls.

Hindu teachings also provide a unique perspective. The Bhagavad Gita tells us, “For the soul, there is neither birth nor death; nor, having once been, does it ever cease to be” (Bhagavad Gita 2:20). This means that hell isn’t some final destination—it’s more like a state of mind, a cycle of suffering we endure until we find redemption or liberation. The constant cycle of karma reminds us that our inner struggles can be our own worst punishment if we stray from a righteous path.

Even in Sikhism, there’s a recognition that the real torment often comes from within. The Guru Granth Sahib teaches us about the power of self-reflection and compassion, suggesting that our personal hell is built from our inability to see ourselves in others. Every indifferent or hurtful act sows the seeds of future pain, showing us that our relationships can be both our saving grace and the source of our inner torment.

This way of looking at hell—as something we create for ourselves—offers a more liberating perspective than the traditional image of an external, punishing realm. It reminds us that every harsh word and every act of malice contributes to a collective suffering we all share. The idea of eternal damnation becomes less about an abstract myth and more about the real, everyday consequences of our actions. Recognizing this can push us to live more mindfully, knowing that our choices have the power to either free us or trap us in our own personal infernos.

In the end, hell is less about fire and brimstone and more about the way we break connections with one another. Whether you’re looking at the teachings of Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, or even Sartre’s existential musings, the takeaway is clear: our toughest battle is with the inner demons we create through neglect, cruelty, and indifference. By realizing that hell isn’t some far-off place but the sum of our everyday choices, we might just find a way to start dismantling the inferno within ourselves.