I think the outcome of this argument with respect to death would be different if people could at any point compare what it is like to be in pain and not in pain. Death is different because we cannot be reasonably sure of an afterlife.
I do think my life has been made more meaningful by the relatively small amounts of pain (of many sorts) I’ve endured, especially in the form of adversity overcome. Perhaps I would make them a little smaller, but not zero.
Therefore I think it’s just straightforwardly true that pain can be a meaningful part of life. At the same time the current amount of pain in our world is WAY TOO HIGH, with dubious prospects of becoming manageable; so I would choose “no pain ever” over the current situation.
You should read this: http://www.nickbostrom.com/fable/dragon.html
It makes your point well. This is also touched on in HPMOR.
I think the outcome of this argument with respect to death would be different if people could at any point compare what it is like to be in pain and not in pain. Death is different because we cannot be reasonably sure of an afterlife.
I do think my life has been made more meaningful by the relatively small amounts of pain (of many sorts) I’ve endured, especially in the form of adversity overcome. Perhaps I would make them a little smaller, but not zero.
Therefore I think it’s just straightforwardly true that pain can be a meaningful part of life. At the same time the current amount of pain in our world is WAY TOO HIGH, with dubious prospects of becoming manageable; so I would choose “no pain ever” over the current situation.