Is pain a universal?

Question

Is pain a universal?

Answer 1

The problem with all universals is that there is always someone somewhere that proves to be an exception. In this case, there are bound to be people who cannot feel physical pain due to nerve damages e.g. paraplegics or quadriplegics. Also, there are sociopaths or psychopaths who seem genuinely incapable of experiencing mental anguish.

If there is one exception to a universal, it is no longer a universal but just a mammoth majority.

Answer 2

Minny (can I call you min?), since you love questions about universals why not just write one question listing everything you think is an universal. That way YA could be devoted to real questions.

Yes, pain is a universal of the human experience. The pain of seeing your questions, I think, is truly felt by all the members of YA.

Edit -- Morpheus (by the way, can I call you Morph-boy?) doesn't seem to understand the difference between pain and misery so I will need to enlighten him. I usually need to enlighten him so it's no big deal.

Pleasure and pain are an organism's basic biological feelings to aid it in survival. All animals experience both of these feels. It is built-in and no animal has a choice in regards to either processing or not processing those feelings.

Misery is a subjective evaluation of how one understands ones plight. There is no automatic biological universal situation that will always lead to the subjective evaluation of misery. Misery is not therefore not part of human nature and is not an universal.

Answer 3

According to Mountain, misery is not a universal, but pain is.  Mr. Dweller needs to sharpen his pencil.

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