Socrates Paper
May 5, 2013
Is pain needed to appreciate pleasure? “Without pain you don’t know pleasure.” Karina “No, the notion that to appreciate one sensation you must first endure a less desirable one is ridiculous. Pain can be used to enhance pleasure, but there is certainly no evidence that pain is required to allow the appreciation of pleasure.” Rylan “Yes.” Mike “Depends on the individual.” Lisa “No, but I think it would make you appreciate it that much more.” Ashley “While attending the funeral of a 23 year old friend years ago I remember the priest coming up to me and saying, ‘It would hurt so much if one never knew love’. So my opinion to your question is yes! You can’t truly appreciate/enjoy what you have unless you experience loss or pain.” Jane “No.” Erica “I don’t think it’s needed to experience pleasure, but it helps up appreciate it more and enhances it.” Tom “No, If you are extremely happy all the time, then what may seem painful to someone else would not seem that bad to you.” Christian
“No, pain and pleasure is a perception and subjective. One man’s pleasure can be another man’s pain. Either way, the perception can be felt without the other. It is the opposite perception that will enhance the feeling.” Taylor

Is pain needed to experience pleasure? There seems to be different opinions on the subject. Majority of the opinions disagreed with the question; pain is not needed to experience pleasure. What they all have in common is a clear view that pain and pleasure are two separate perceptions, and we do experience them both. There also seems to be agreeance that we can experience