does pain make us smarter?

[columbus]

Granted, what I find odd is when the pain does not motivate us to stop what is causing the pain. So that we could have the pain but just repeat the same stuff as if it will be different the next time. Pain allows us to know better perhaps, but knowing better isn't always enough to stop us, like we are just glutton for punishement. We could even predict, based on experience that something will cause suffering but then we do it anyways, we just sometimes try to handle it then regret when it is too much when comes time to bare it. Wondering why we would do such a thing in the first place, likely from lack of wisdom, not using the knowledge we have to the greater benefit.

If there is a God, He keeps making new humans that way.

It is the real "Problem of Evil".

If I become God humans will be born with an instinct to find the truth stronger than the instinct find sex.

Tom

 

[ZooGirl02]

I don't believe that pain makes us smarter. If it did, I'd be a genius because I deal with chronic pain.

 

[Shadow Wolf]

It can make us smarter: some pains feel good, some pains do not leave much of a chance for learning, and some pains teach us important lessons and give meaning to our life.

 

[Mycroft]

That title can be a book in itself.

How can we even answer that?
pain makes us smarter?
Wiser?

It entirely depends on what you consider 'smart'.

Is 'smart' equal to 'intelligence' in your definition?

If so 'does pain increase our intelligence'? Then the answer is yes. But only in the area of the associative memory.

Our associative memory is what enables us to learn from experience. The ability to learn from experience and adapt is the mark of intelligence.

If you are stung by a nettle, your associative memory will remember the configuration of that plant and associate it to 'pain' and 'sting'. So the next time you see the same plant you wont touch it, you have learned from that experience. Furthermore you will warn others, who may then (but also may not) make the same associations based on your information, which is also a mark of intelligence (being able to learn from others).

We can also do this in more abstract ways. If we are taught to associate 'venom' with 'pain and death' and we read (say on the Internet) of a 'venomous' creature (again our associative memory takes 'venom' from 'venomous' and then we, later, see that creature in the real world, we do not go near it and also warn others not to. They might ask 'how do you know it's venomous?' and you say you read about it in such and such article. They might apply the label 'intelligent' to you for this.

 

[idav]

They might ask 'how do you know it's venomous?' and you say you read about it in such and such article. They might apply the label 'intelligent' to you for this.

With this we can even become more intelligent from the pain of others, yet we are so unwise that we still prefer to learn the hard way sometimes. Boggles the intelligence, it really does.

 

[esmith]

Depends on whether one is talking about physical or mental pain. If one does something that causes physical pain, say sticking ones hand in a fire, we become smarter...fire hurts. However mental pain is and can be different. One can do something that causes mental pain/anguish then be stupid enough to do the same thing to see if a different result will occur, say an action that evokes the freeze-flight-fight response. Of course mental pain can result in physical pain (you fight when you should have fled). Thus hopeful you are smarter next time. So my answer is yes pain can make you smarter as long as you realize what caused the pain.

 

[idav]

In case anyone is interested I found an interesting article which links physical and psychological pain as coming from the same source, areas of the brain. So in other words, emotional pain is real physical pain. The link is extraordinary in the brain, our body is all linked to our nervous system so when we feel pain we feel it in 3d space even though the processing mostly goes on in the brain. As such we can ask, where does this emotional pain hurt in our body.

The writer said made him feel better that emotional pain isn't just all in his head, lol.

Emotional and Physical Pain Activate Similar Brain Regions | Psychology Today

 

[kashmir]

It's yes and no, depending on the situation, imo.

Voted no because it isn't always the case.

pain always makes us smarter

 

[Desert Snake]

In case anyone is interested I found an interesting article which links physical and psychological pain as coming from the same source, areas of the brain. So in other words, emotional pain is real physical pain. The link is extraordinary in the brain, our body is all linked to our nervous system so when we feel pain we feel it in 3d space even though the processing mostly goes on in the brain. As such we can ask, where does this emotional pain hurt in our body.

The writer said made him feel better that emotional pain isn't just all in his head, lol.

Emotional and Physical Pain Activate Similar Brain Regions | Psychology Today

Thanks, that's interesting. and weird.

 

[Desert Snake]

pain always makes us smarter

How? ......

 

[kashmir]

How? ......

serious?

explain one instance where pain doesn't make us smarter

 

[oldbadger]

serious?

explain one instance where pain doesn't make us smarter

I agree that pain makes us smarter...... instantly.
It's why we have pain. Pain draws our attention to a condition of risk which we are experiencing, and as pain increases so it urges us to make decisions about what to do to protect ourselves.

It teaches us .......... if we do a certain thing, we get hurt. So from pain we learn from our mistakes more clearly. It certainly helps us to remember not to repeat mistakes which previously caused us injury.