Ever heard the saying, "It could always be worse,"? Wouldn't it be weird/cool to know who the person who has it the absolute WORST???? As there will always be that one person at any given time on the planet where they have it THE worst than anyone else! The one in the worst pain, the one with the worst depression, etc. Ain't that weird?
Whoa! I can see that you've opened up a Pandora's box. My first question is are you going to offer some comfort to this person? Are you expecting me (or we of SciForum to)? Doubtless you're going to get someone writing:"Well, it will depend on what you mean by 'absolute' and what 'worst' really means and that varies from individual to individual..." Yes, yes. We understand all that, and if we're not equivocating the meaning is clear. Then there's the question of innocent suffering as opposed to those whose actions have led to their troubles. However, I think we will find that it is not one single person we're looking for. Is it some child in the slums of Manila or São Paulo? A sick person in Darfur? How and who can decide which one of such individuals has the absolute worst case over so many just like him or her? Given the billions of people there are, it could easily be 50 million who are the worst case. Whoever it is, we can be sure they are not goofing around on SciForum or even know someone who is. How many starving fourth world children have you got in your email contacts?
This is philosophy section, so I was just saying it would be weird if we were Almighty All knowing God and actually knew who it was, lol. They obviously wouldn't be on SciForums. There has to be a person that is in the worst pain that anyone else at this particular moment than anyone else. Maybe they are about to die. There has to be a person that is the most sad, or is there a point where you can't be anymore sad than you are? If so, then it would be cool to see who those people are.... philosophically.
There are millions of suffering people all over the world at any given moment in time. All of these people are at the end of their ropes and await death itself to rid them of their pain and suffering. To think that there's only one person with the most pain is ludicrous and shows you don't have a grasp on reality.
Hey! I notice that Garbonzo and Buddha12 both coincidentally have 320 posts. So perhaps the real question is which one of them has made us suffer more. (Just kidding, gentleman) Buddha, it looks like, as happens so often, we are in complete agreement. So that's all right. My only worry now is that the Wendy Whiners are gong to chime in that their lot is the worst of all people on Earth. All right then Please Register or Log in to view the hidden image! , just keep it short, don't get too personal and hurry up and tell us where to send the check.
Just send it my way, I'll be certain the right person gets it.Please Register or Log in to view the hidden image!Please Register or Log in to view the hidden image!
No. Because we are not a God and we do not know. Please Register or Log in to view the hidden image! My rhetorical question is who at this moment in time is suffering the worst. This can be pain. Who at this moment right now, this second in time, is suffering the most pain. We know there are many people suffering GENERALLY, of COURSE. But some are in MORE pain than others. Falling down on the sidewalk and breaking your neck is nothing compared to some things people are going through right this second. It's a wonder at what person is suffering the most at this very second. The PAIN of it all. Is it someone who is being tortured? I am just saying it is a wonderful question. Meaning it induces wonder, not that it is fun.
Of course. But one is suffering the most out of all of them. Unless, like I said before, there is some peak of pain one can get to, then, yes it's possible many can be suffering the exact same amount: the peak amount. Maybe the amount you suffer right before you die if you are being tortured. When is the peak of pain, if there is even one?
Do you believe that at a certain level of pain that one will go insane and no longer understand the pain they are suffering? If so do they still qualify as suffering the worst at the moment they go insane?
Like Epictetus said before, there is a lot of subjectivity in my original question, so you could say who is suffering the most pain, which is more objective. If they aren't suffering pain anymore, then they can't be on the list.
I think the most pain a person could suffer isn't physical. A person getting their leg cut off without anesthesia is suffering less pain than a person watching their child get their leg cut off without anesthesia. The physical pain goes away, the mental anguish and guilt doesn't.
I can't really compare apples and oranges like that, and no two people feel pain in the same way, so your statement may not be true for everyone. They do have drugs that intensify physical pain and to make sure you feel it for prolonged amounts of time they have drugs that keep you from passing out, then add a small butane torch and see how many days you can hurt for before you die. In any event I don't personally want to find out for myself which is worse.
There's probably some limit when things can't get any worse, so there's not necessarily any one person occupying that position. Also it depends a bit on definition, is it better or worse to have physical pain than it is to have emotional pain? Some people would rather have physical pain than emotional, but to some emotional pain is better.
