Why Do Humans Love Pain?

Similar areas of the brain are activated when you burn your hand on the stove and when you bite into a cookie. Turns out pain and pleasure go hand in hand. But while you don't dream about burning your hand on purpose, you might relish that spicy dish of noodles from time to time. So, that begs the question: Why do we love pain?

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Following is the transcript of the video:

Caroline Aghajanian: "Oh my god... I think I'm going to die."

Why do we do this?

Joe Avella: "It burns, but it's so good."

Chef Johnny Zone: “As a human being, pain is pleasure..”

Chef Johnny is right. Pain and pleasure are intricately connected. Similar areas of the brain are activated when you burn your hand on the stove and when you bite into a cookie. To be clear, eating a cookie and burning your hand won't make you react the same way... unless the cookie is on fire. But, while it may seem like a cookie would bring us infinitely more joy than a burn, sometimes... it doesn’t.

Capsaicin is the chemical that makes chili peppers spicy. It was developed specifically to keep mammals from eating them. But humans went ahead and started eating – and enjoying – spicy peppers anyway.

So what gives?

When we feel pain, all sorts of feel-good chemicals get pumped into our system as a way to cope. Endorphins, anandamide, and adrenaline are all responsible for that “heat buzz” after a hot wings challenge. The hippocampus orders endorphins to block the transmission of pain signals, and also stimulate the brain’s limbic and prefrontal regions. That’s where our penchant for grand romance and an appreciation of music lives.

Adrenaline raises your heart rate and excitement levels, while anandamide chills you out. Anandamide, aka the “bliss chemical,” is like the endorphins’ cool cousin. It binds to the same receptors in the brain as marijuana and produces the same warm, fuzzy feeling. And it’s not just chemicals that determine how we feel pain.

Our brains are pretty smart. They’re able to determine when a stimulus that’s causing us pain isn’t actually a threat, even when our bodies are screaming that it is. That initial scary moment coupled with the realization that we’d been duped by our senses actually brings us pleasure. The concept is called “benign masochism.” It’s what tells us it’s fun to eat ghost peppers, ride roller coasters, and take a whiff of old milk.

Geoffrey R. O. Durso: "So, if I put myself in a situation that is very likely to cause me pain, that means any positive experience out of that is magnified because it's unexpected, it's surprising."

Now, for the most part, we avoid harm at all costs. But getting rid of paid can come at a price. For example, painkillers dull our aches... but they also blunt our sensitivity to pleasure.

Geoffrey R. O. Durso: "People who took acetaminophen in my studies, compared to a group that took a placebo, were evaluating the unpleasant things less negatively and these pleasant things less positively."

And in another case, one group of cervical cancer survivors had nerves in their spinal cords cut to relieve abdominal pain. Unfortunately, they also lost the ability to orgasm. Pain and pleasure are two sides of the same coin – it's hard to imagine one without the other.

Geoffrey R. O. Durso: "If you were to wake up tomorrow, and just no longer experience any pain that would be a bad day for you."

[colress]

Ye I really felt pleasure when I fell down the stairs yesterday.

[nicosmind]

"Why do some weirdos enjoy pain"
Titled fixed. And I wouldn't put chillies in the same category as pain in general. Getting cut, broken leg, etc, all horrible and not enjoyable.

[uesugiruruko]

I love spicy food but right now I want to die because I have a toothache. I hate every form of physical pain except spicy food

[canadiansplootdoggo]

🅱️DSM for your mouth






(Spicy food)

[ew_kae]

When part of my body is sore I’d put pressure on it to make it hurt and then it would feel good

[chrischristenson]

"Did you know that the first Matrix was designed to be a perfect human world where none suffered, where everyone would be happy? It was a disaster. No one would accept the program, entire crops were lost. Some believed that we lacked the programming language to describe your perfect world, but I believe that as a species that human beings define their reality through misery and suffering." ~ Agent Smith

[richietxy]

Are you saying murderers are doing a favour for their victims

[Hallelujah-nqjo]

Pain and pleasure so sweet it will tear your soul apart-the cenobite

[shaneorza]

The more we feel pain the more we feel alive

[arlenecoleman]

I actually always press down my wound it actually feels good call me weird if you want

[wizuraihakim]

Btw, i think its depend on the pain scale. if the pain scale its at a pleasure level it can be pleasurable, but if the pain scale its way to much from pleasure level it can hurt u.
like doing rough sex compare to doing surgery without anesthesia, which one do u choose? 😅

[delaw]

I enjoy pain because 1) we’re all equals when it comes to it 2) it means that I’m alive 3) whatever that doesn’t kill me only makes me stronger

[InvestingHustler]

I don't enjoy pain does that mean I'm not human ? 🤔

[SomaKitsune]

This reminds me of a time when my brothers and I went bushbashing and came across stinging nettle. We dared each other to whip ourselves with it and ended up doing it for the entire day and enjoying it. On the way home one of us was like "what the actual hell is wrong with us?" LOL. This video explains everything.

[charadreemur]

I sometimes enjoy pain,
like a small open wound pressed with pressure or being washed with water or sprayed with alcohol...
I am weird I know but don’t judge because I am who I am...

[rie]

Me:*eats takis during video*

"THIS HURT!!"

Also me: *continues eating*

[SteriluxGaming]

No I'm pretty sure I hate pain. Like, REALLY REALLY hate pain. But great informative video!

[Bebe-rnfh]

quiet relatable.. I used to burn candles and then press my finger onto the fire. Feels very painful and hot but its just so dang nice

[Beniliayt]

This reminds me of black Mirror s4 episode 6 with the doctor that loves pain.

[dracomet]

Are you saying I can get high just eating spicy food?