--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: There’s such a thing as chronic pain, but…" description: "\"“There’s such a thing as chronic pain, but there’s no such thing as chronic pleasure. ... For an existing person, the presence of bad things is bad and..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a00/david-benatar-19400_bad-thing_there-s-such-a-thing-as-chronic-pain-but_45772.jpg" --- # There’s such a thing as chronic pain, but there’s no such… ![“There’s such a thing as chronic pain, but there’s no such thing as chronic pleasure. ... For an existing person, the presence of bad things is bad and the presence of good things is good. But compare that with a scenario in which that person never existed—then, the absence of the bad would be…” quote by David Benatar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a00/david-benatar-19400_bad-thing_there-s-such-a-thing-as-chronic-pain-but_45772.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a00/david-benatar-19400_bad-thing_there-s-such-a-thing-as-chronic-pain-but_45772.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a00/david-benatar-19400_bad-thing_there-s-such-a-thing-as-chronic-pain-but_45772.jpg) > ““There’s such a thing as chronic pain, but there’s no such thing as chronic pleasure. ... For an existing person, the presence of bad things is bad and the presence of good things is good. But compare that with a scenario in which that person never existed—then, the absence of the bad would be good, but the absence of the good wouldn’t be bad, because there’d be nobody to be deprived of those good things.”” [David Benatar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-benatar/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The quote argues that pleasure cannot be sustained indefinitely, while pain can become chronic, and uses a thought experiment about non-existence to show that the moral weight of good and bad depends on a subject's experience. **In simple terms:** Pleasure is fleeting; pain can persist. Key Takeaway Absence of a subject nullifies moral impact. Themes ethics existentialism pain pleasure value theory Mood thoughtful provocative Type philosophical reflective When to use this quote - philosophical debate - clinical pain management - life‑meaning discussions - ethical counseling Key Concepts subjective experience moral relevance non-existence Practical Applications - bioethical policy design - pain‑relief research Questions to Reflect On - Does the existence of a subject create moral obligations? - How does this view affect attitudes toward suffering? A Different Perspective Some argue that pleasure can be sustained through practices like mindfulness, challenging the claim of its impossibility. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Bad thing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bad-thing/) [Bad things](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bad-things/) [Chronic pain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/chronic-pain/) [Chronic Pleasure](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/chronic-pleasure-670665/) [Deprived Good](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/deprived-good-670667/) [Good thing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/good-thing/) [Good things](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/good-things/) [Pain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pain/) [Pleasure Existing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pleasure-existing-670666/) [Presence Good](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/presence-good-670668/) ## Related quotes > [Yes,,we need flesh-and-blood companions,but let's not overlook the reality of God's presence,Good always our side,we're never alone.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mariane-corbito/yes-we-need-flesh-and-blood-companions-but-let-s-not-overlook-the/) [Mariane Corbito](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mariane-corbito/) > [It is a happy woman when the spirit time is come, that finds herself in the presence of a good man.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeanette-lee/it-is-a-happy-woman-when-the-spirit-time-is-come-that-finds-herself/) [Jeanette Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeanette-lee/) > [“You are good. 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