Pain is hard to pin down. It can be sharp, dull, burning, constricting, throbbing or colicky. It can be acute or chronic. For many, there is no close correlation between physical damage and the degree of pain experienced. There is an inherently subjective aspect to pain: Mood, attitudes and external events can all influence how it is perceived. It is even possible to endure agony from a part of the body that no longer exists, as amputees suffering from phantom This story is from Kinfolk Issue Twenty-Seven Buy Now Related Stories Arts & Culture Issue 45 Love That for You A lesson in the art of compersion. Arts & Culture Issue 29 Nose Deep Why do we love the smell of old books? Arts & Culture Issue 27 In Defense of Loneliness Harriet Fitch Little shines a light on one of life’s most concealed emotions. Arts & Culture Issue 48 Jordan Casteel The acclaimed painter of people—and now plants. Arts & Culture Issue 48 The Sweet Spot How long is the perfect vacation? Arts & Culture Issue 48 Cliff Tan Four questions for a feng shui guru.
Arts & Culture Issue 27 In Defense of Loneliness Harriet Fitch Little shines a light on one of life’s most concealed emotions.