I had a weird thought about being spanked by my dad as a kid. this got me pondering why something that used to be incredibly painful can cannot be noticed, like minor cute and bruises as an adult. Thank you!!
In: Biology
Flawed hypothesis: it’s not necessarily true that nerves lose sensation over time. However, our perception of pain changes as we mature for various reasons.
As a child, getting a cut also has emotions tied to it—am I safe? Will I be cared for? Is there anyone who loves me enough to make sure I survive this sudden, unexpected and possibly major change to my body?
As an adult, we are already assured of the answers to many of these questions, if not all. Add elements of expectation and consent it turns out that some physically identical trauma is not perceived as pain but as something else.
/u/djpresstone is right. Pain is not so much about being physically hurt, it has a lot to do with the state of mind.
People with depression can suffer from hypersensibility to pain for example. A huge dimension of pain is the situation attached to it
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