Thursday, December 16, 2010

Pleasure and Pain

For those who still think they run of the mill, I want to tell you that pleasure and pain for you might not be so different. Yes, I know, I'm not "normal' to judge but, the more I looked into it the more sense it made.

So, I was reading in Spinoza's Ethics ,an online version of the book in the link, and one of the things that I started to wonder about how different is pleasure and pain?!. In part III: On the origin and nature of the affect Spinoza defines pleasure as "passive state wherein the mind passes to a greater perfection" and pain " passive state wherein the mind passes to a lesser perfection". So, they fall on the same line just at different poles. Then, comes the facts that the degree of perception and interpretation is subjective and different for every human. As some humans may have higher threshold to pain some have lower threshold to pleasure therefore need more to be happy. On the contrary, some may be content with so little in life.

Yet, no real similarity have been established...
The line between pleasure and pain disappear some time when you expect a certain end result. Sometimes the mind needs to pass to a lesser perfection to reach perfection. We can take childbirth as an example of pain that end with pleasure, or when you study for a test in a subject you love and get a good grade. Then comes another question, WHAT IF the child died after birth or you failed the test, will we reach the ultimate pain i.e. lesser perfection, and isn't that the same as pleasure i.e. perfection because now you reached the perfect pain. We can say that we found our-self in a "cycle"by Jaz where we go from perfect pain to pleasure which could also mean acceptance of reality...

There is also a point that need to be raised...

What about those who enjoy agony?! is there really pleasure in less than perfect pain?! or was Spinoza talking about the normal individuals. However, haven't we all done it once or twice?! We do things although we know it's going to hurt us. We get attached to people and thing that only cause us pain. What if?! the real intentions is not to enjoy the pain but to punish ourselves sub-consciously for things we did or did not do?! Whatever pain we receive dose not really give pleasure but it provides some relive from a tormented consciences and a helpless soul....

Can these souls reach salvation?!

We always have the key in one hand, the answer and the solution, yet we choose to look away. Those who, or these things that torment us have little or no power over us. We hold the key chain , therefore we hold the power over ourselves and over them. Their existences are a mere coincidence if they did not exist we would have found something else to agonize this loaded shell with sins.

And that's Why forgiveness start from within...

3 comments:

  1. As some humans may have higher threshold to pain some have lower threshold to pleasure therefore need more to be happy. On the contrary, some may be content with so little in life.

    >>> I'm I one of them !!


    Whatever pain we receive dose not really give pleasure but it provide some relive for a tormented conscience and a helpless soul....

    >>> really make sense



    And that's Why forgiveness start from within...

    >> feeling of peace is the pleasure of forgiveness


    >>>loved ur post .. It's let me think and wonder about the truth of my inner self.

    Keep writing Demo .

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  2. what about those who enjoy agony?! Is there really pleasure in less than perfect pain?! Or was Spinoza talking about the normal individuals...

    i read this post many times, it's complicated or may be we r human being emotionally complicated by nature....it has many explanations & this is why emotions distinguish us...

    i was arguing yesterday with someone who enjoys agony..she was really happy to be in pain, for me it makes no sense but the point i got is..we people enjoy pain wether we realized that or not cuz if pain doesn't exist happiness cant lift up our souls as u know happiness means being away from pain & pain means being away from happiness,..or some ppl enjoy their agony to receive attention while they still save their dignity...
    or it's just Darma & they enjoy the act , at the same time they r happy cuz they thought they impress ppl about how much they suffer while they still resist all that pain and lead their lives........ or simply no explanation for that situation...!!

    i like ur smart thoughts keep it up....

    Rum Rum

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  3. LoVe it when my post is understood by people.
    specially, if they where my friends :D

    I know that RumRum and Amal will love this post
    thank u for being active in my blog i appreciate ur comments....

    ReplyDelete