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It is generally accepted that happiness is the minimum of pain and the maximum of pleasure. However, it is the unpleasant sensations that often help us focus on the current moment and begin to appreciate it. Psychologist Bastian Brock reflects on the unexpected role that pain plays in everyone’s life.
Aldous Huxley in Brave New World predicted that incessant pleasures lead to a sense of desperation in society. And Christina Onassis, the heiress of Aristotle Onassis, proved by the example of her life that an excess of pleasure is the path to disappointment, unhappiness and early death.
Pain is necessary to contrast with pleasure. Without it, life becomes dull, boring and completely meaningless. If we don’t feel pain, we become chocolatiers in a chocolate shop — we have nothing to strive for. Pain enhances pleasure and contributes to the feeling of happiness, connects us with the outside world.
There is no pleasure without pain
The so-called «runner’s euphoria» is an example of getting pleasure from pain. After intense physical activity, runners experience a euphoric state. This is a consequence of the effects on the brain of opioids, which are formed in it under the influence of pain.
Pain is an excuse for pleasure. For example, many people do not deny themselves anything after going to the gym.
My colleagues and I conducted an experiment: we asked half of the subjects to hold their hand in ice water for a while. Then they were asked to choose a gift: a marker or a chocolate bar. Most of the participants who did not feel pain chose the marker. And those who experienced pain preferred chocolate.
Pain improves concentration
You are engaged in an interesting conversation, but suddenly you drop a heavy book on your foot. You fall silent, all your attention is riveted on the finger that was hurt by the book. Pain gives us a sense of presence in the moment. When it subsides, we keep our focus on what is happening here and now for a while, and think less about the past and the future.
We also found that pain enhances pleasure. People who ate a chocolate biscuit after soaking their hands in ice water enjoyed more than those who weren’t tested. Subsequent studies have shown that people who have recently experienced pain are better at distinguishing shades of taste and have a reduced criticality to the pleasures they receive.
This explains why it’s nice to drink hot chocolate when we’re cold, and why a mug of cold beer is a pleasure after a hard day. Pain helps you connect with the world and makes pleasure more enjoyable and intense.
Pain connects us to other people
Those who faced a real tragedy felt a real unity with those who were close by. In 2011, 55 volunteers helped rebuild Australia’s Brisbane after a flood, while New Yorkers rallied after the 11/XNUMX tragedy.
Pain ceremonies have long been used to bring groups of people together. For example, participants in the Kavadi ritual on the island of Mauritius purify themselves of bad thoughts and deeds through self-torture. Those who participated in the ceremony and observed the ritual were more willing to donate money to public needs.
The other side of pain
Pain is usually associated with illness, injury, and other physical suffering. However, we also encounter pain during our daily, quite healthy activities. It can even be medicinal. For example, regular immersion of hands in ice water has a positive effect in the treatment of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.
Pain is not always bad. If we are not afraid and aware of its positive aspects, we can effectively manage it.
About the author: Brock Bastian is a psychologist at the University of Melbourne.