On the Seriousness of Suffering
Never, for any reason on earth, could you wish for an increase of pain. Of pain you could wish only one thing: that it should stop. Nothing in the world was so bad as physical pain. In the face of pain there are no heroes, no heroes [...].
--George Orwell, 1984, Part 3, Chapter 1
This page gives some links to depictions of real human and animal suffering. While general terms like pain
and suffering
can sometimes feel abstract and detached, this material is a reminder of what they really mean -- and why our efforts to reduce suffering are so important.
Chicken slaughter:
Foie gras:
Battery-cage eggs:
The following videos may seem a little silly -- I agree. But I think the underlying ideas are truly terrifying, even if we don't take these particular presentations at all seriously.