Does this make God a useful construct? Shouldn't we measure our pain and suffering? With all due respect to John Lennon, couldn't one just as truthfully say, "God is a concept by which we measure our happiness?" In this sense, I think Lennon is right.
It's not even relatively true, it is implied in the question. A measurement in suffering is a negative measurement of happiness. Suffering-happiness, in the grand scheme of one's life, are a single continuum - they are interdependent of each other, like black and white when really there are only shades of grey.
this is quite right but I assure you pain is relative. Using your logic pain and happiness is on a scale. to explain lets assume happiness is on a scale of 100 to -100 100 being say threesome with two chicks and -100 being having your dick chopped off or something. But lets say you just had your dick chopped off and someone gives you a paper cut(clearly a -96.. those things hurt ) would getting a paper cut be considered a happy event?
But you could also say that your life's happiness is the sum of every one of those moments. Using your example, and assuming that your "sum" is at zero, you end up at -100 after your dick is sliced, then -196 after the paper cut. (idk if this makes sense, im really blazed and it sounded right when I typed it)
You mean like, you would go up from -100 to -96? because the papercut is not as bad? or what if it just got like averaged, putting you at -98?
he means after you get your dick chopped you're at a -100, then a papercut is a positive net change of 4, so technically a happy moment.
your right. was a bad example. cause it was two bad things which means its still a bad day no matter what. but what if a bad thing and a good thing happen like what if you get a paper cut then find a quarter or something?
that's not how it works though. your dick is still gone, now you have a papercut too. you're in worse condition. this is not a good example for the scale idea, lol.
you also just added another factor. No matter what if you get your dick chopped off you still aint gettin it back.. so does this put like a permanent -100 on your day no matter what. like you wake up and go "its sunny outside... but I still aint got a dick."
well eventually you start to get over your loss of a dick. so over years, it would steadily increase, right? You'd have -100 from losing your dick, but as humans we learn to move on and just try to not think about it, so technically it would start to go up, like -95, -90 over time. you'd never get back to 0 though with no dick, lol. is this a happiness/sadness scale, or a pain/no pain scale? cause what if you're a massochist? then when you get hurt, the scale would go up.
This is one of the downsides to humanity. There are many negatives that can happen and linger forever, but not many positives that can do the same. Money, love, friendships, nothing good lasts forever.