<p>Pain can be felt in unique and myriad ways. The pain suffered due to a physical injury or health issue is different from the one due to a financial loss. The emotional pain due to the loss of a dear one, or from an unreasonable backlash from a dear one is poignantly different. The threshold limit of pain is again different for each individual.</p>.<p>There are a few who give exaggerated responses when faced with pain of a mild sort. I remember a teenager relative who let out a loud yell when a drop of hot soup fell on her hand while I served her.</p>.<p>In my shock, luckily for both, I did not drop the ladle on her. A tooth inflammation can have one reeling in a pain spasm.</p>.<p>I remember having seen my first tot, a four year old then, sleeping with her hand pressed against her cheek to suppress the pain that had arisen due to an inflammation. She never let out a cry which made me cry.</p>.<p>It melts my heart to recollect the silent courage of my second daughter during her hospital stints. Never she expressed anguish or any grouse on her situation. The bar is set high for soldiers in the name of patriotism as they bear enormous amounts of pain due to combat injury. What makes the difference in all such persons?</p>.<p>It may be their self respect or the desire not to upset their dear ones by showcasing their pain, both of which stem from extreme self restraint and resilience.</p>.<p>The shastras postulate that bodily pain should not be given much importance. The puranas have many such heroic stories which may be difficult to replicate in this era. Karna had posed as a brahmin and become a disciple of sage Parushurama. Once, the guru was fast asleep on the disciple’s lap. A blood sucking bug latched on to Karna’s body and the pain was terrible. But Karna did not stir lest his revered guru’s sleep be disturbed.</p>.<p>When Parushurama woke up and saw Karna’s state, he realised that Karna could not be a brahmin but of a Kshatriya clan capable of bearing such levels of pain. The ending of that story is not the point here but pain threshold is.</p>.<p>Tolerance of pain is ultimately an excellent display of self control and extremely laudable.</p>
<p>Pain can be felt in unique and myriad ways. The pain suffered due to a physical injury or health issue is different from the one due to a financial loss. The emotional pain due to the loss of a dear one, or from an unreasonable backlash from a dear one is poignantly different. The threshold limit of pain is again different for each individual.</p>.<p>There are a few who give exaggerated responses when faced with pain of a mild sort. I remember a teenager relative who let out a loud yell when a drop of hot soup fell on her hand while I served her.</p>.<p>In my shock, luckily for both, I did not drop the ladle on her. A tooth inflammation can have one reeling in a pain spasm.</p>.<p>I remember having seen my first tot, a four year old then, sleeping with her hand pressed against her cheek to suppress the pain that had arisen due to an inflammation. She never let out a cry which made me cry.</p>.<p>It melts my heart to recollect the silent courage of my second daughter during her hospital stints. Never she expressed anguish or any grouse on her situation. The bar is set high for soldiers in the name of patriotism as they bear enormous amounts of pain due to combat injury. What makes the difference in all such persons?</p>.<p>It may be their self respect or the desire not to upset their dear ones by showcasing their pain, both of which stem from extreme self restraint and resilience.</p>.<p>The shastras postulate that bodily pain should not be given much importance. The puranas have many such heroic stories which may be difficult to replicate in this era. Karna had posed as a brahmin and become a disciple of sage Parushurama. Once, the guru was fast asleep on the disciple’s lap. A blood sucking bug latched on to Karna’s body and the pain was terrible. But Karna did not stir lest his revered guru’s sleep be disturbed.</p>.<p>When Parushurama woke up and saw Karna’s state, he realised that Karna could not be a brahmin but of a Kshatriya clan capable of bearing such levels of pain. The ending of that story is not the point here but pain threshold is.</p>.<p>Tolerance of pain is ultimately an excellent display of self control and extremely laudable.</p>