Pain

"Did you ever say yes to a pleasure?
Oh my friends, then you also said yes to all pain
All things are linked, entwined, in love with one another."
-Nietzsche

One of the most fascinating aspects of pain is that it is so pervasive and central to art, literature, theatre, media, philosophy, and all forms of expression. Ever since we could communicate, we have talked about pain. Our greatest thinkers dwell on what it means and why it exists. Our greatest painters, sculptors, dancers, and artists try to depict it. Our greatest storytellers create myths, recount tales, and personify it. The experience of pain is, to some extent, the experience of being human.

Image of tragic mask on the facade of the Royal Dramatic Theater, Stockholm is shown under Creative Commons Attribution Share-Alike License, from Wikipedia.