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The manner in which pain is experienced is influenced by a multitude of

factors. The statement that "there is no such thing as a private pain event"
might be one that is too absolute. The term "private pain" might indicate
that the experience of pain is experienced within a vaccum, without any
external influence. It might also connote that pain is a solitary experience
that one goes through in isolation, while "public pain" might be one that is
common and shared. These two various experiences of pain are greatly
influenced by society and the culture that one is surrounded by. While other
factors such as globalisation and the media might also play a role, it is
ultimately the societal factor that dictates the influence of the other factors.
Social behaviour and believes would alter how people rely on media or
how globalisation and capitalism is utilised. Thus, while the statement
holds a modicum of truth, it is far too absolute as pain can be experienced
both "privately" and "publicly".

Firstly, pain events might not be private due to the heavy influence of
society and the culture we live in. Bourke argues that "we invent pain" and
that it is not discovered. This simply means that one is unable to recognise
pain events unless we are conditioned and taught to believe that certain
events ought to be painful. This is largely true of emotional pain, as it is
often subjective. What is thoguht to be emotionally painful to one might
not be to another. An example of a social structure that exerts such
influence is the belief in religion. Take Christianity for instance. The
christian doctrine often advocates for puritanical ideals. One is not to
engage in premaritial sex, undergo abortions or engage in homosexual
activity. To a christian, all these activities are inherently sinful - despite the
fact that most of them might be innate to human behaviour. If they were to
engage in such behaviour, they might be riddled with guilt knowing that it
is prohibited by the religion. It is this guilt that is the source of their
emotional pain. They are taught to believe that such behaviour should bring
guilt and shame as it is inherently sinful. For those that do not hold such
beliefs, they are not shackled by the same guilt and shame even if they
engage in the same activites.
However, it is also possible for pain events to be private due to societal
influence as well. As Durkehim asserts, social influence is far more
important than individual characteristics when studying societal behaviour.
The community that we live in can also ironically isolate us - pain events
might be experienced in solitary. In Asian countries, topics such as mental
or reproductive health are seen as taboo, not to be discussed at the dinner
table. People who experience difficutlies in those aspects are taught to keep
to themselves and not seek help. This phenonmenon is apt in South Korea,
where the governement recognised the issue when they realised that mental
health resources was all the more important after the Halloween tragedy.
Suicide rates in Japan have also skyrocketed due to the common belief that
mental health should not be disscussed. Thus, it can be observed that
society has a large role in influencing how pain is expressed or
experienced. An individual can be taught to recognise pain or learn to
suppress and express it. The same factor can cause pain to be "private" and
"publicised" at the same time.

Secondly, pain is also influenced by factors such as globalisation and

capitalism. Globalisation is unrelenting and forces the world to be come
more interconnected, whether you like it or not. In India, the Ladakah
people used to be a self-sufficient community. People consumed what was
produced locally. There was an abundance of jobs, work-life balance and a
strong sense of communal identity. Due to the insidious effects of
globalisation and capitalism, people have lost their jobs as items are now
being produced at a fraction of the price. Pollution pervades the land and
their culture has been eroded due to the continual introduction of western
culture. Advertisements encourge relentless consumerism and teach the
importance of materialism. These people now experience pain - thorugh a
reduced quality of life. As a community, this pain is experienced equally.
Globalisation and industrialisation has occured so quickly that these
changes are cognisable within a single generation. This pain is shared
amongst the community as it is a common experience. It is not a "private
pain" as the wide spread effect of globalisation has affected a vast majority
of people.
Despite this, the pain of the Ladakah people might not be shared on a
global scale. While the globalisation affects everybody, it is the developed
countries that are shielded from the effects that plague the Ladakah people.
Countries such as USA or UK are some of the largest carbon emitters and
traders in the global market. These countries exploit the natural resources
of the underdeveloped countries and market their products to these
coutnires. While the underdeveloped countries experience a dilution of
their culture and increased pollution, the developed countries reap the
profit and find joy in materialism. The USA is known to be an advocate for
consumerism, this inevitably results in people finding security and
happiness in materialism. The profits that they enjoy from exploiting
underdeveloped countries is used to procure even more material goods to
bolster their happiness. This happiness cannot be shared with the
underdeveloped as material wealth is not privy to them. The pain that
underdeveloped countries experience cannot be experienced by the
developed coutnries either because it is precisely this pain that the
developed countries capitalise upon. If these countries remain
underdeveloped, the developed countries can continue to plunder their
resources to bolster their own material happiness. On a global scale, pain
might be "private" and might not be shared amongst others. This is due to
the underlying differences in the political power of the countries, and the
general beliefs of materialsim or capitalism that is promoted. Thus,
powerful forces such as globalisation and capitalism can cause pain to be
experienced "publicly", within communities as they go through shared
experiences. While it can also cause pain to be "private" as certain pains
cannot be experienced by those who capitalise upon it and perpetuate them.

In the same vein, pain might also be shared through the use of media. As
the world becomes more globalised and interconnected due to the presence
of media, it might appropriate to assert that everyone is now "a citizen of
the world". Global events seem to affect us greatly due to how greatly
connected and interdependent countries are. News of tragedy is
broadcasted on media platforms and accessed easily with the push of a
button. Graphic pictures of tragedy and pain can aptly pull at the
heartstrings of people and invoke empathy. This can be seen from the
extensive news coverage of the ongoing wars in Palestine and Ukraine. The
shots of bloodied victims instantly resulted in the collection of donations
and funds to aid those in need. It might be surmised that the pain felt by
those affected in these war events was collectively felt by onlookers.
Through this, it might seem that pain is never a private event as everyone is
collectively exposed to the pain of others around the world due to the far
reaching effects of the media.
Nevertheless, the media might not be a wholly accurate representation of
the pain events that occur. Given that the media is easily manipulated to
create inaccurate representations, one might be able to skew dipictions such
that it fits a certain narrative that one is attempting to push. In doing so,
actual pain events experienced by others might not be accurately portrayed.
The viewers might not empathise with their pain, and might infact believe
in the opposite. This can be seen in online discourse, where false
information is often spread on social media websites about the war in
Palestine. This often leads to people asserting that Palestine deserves to
have war raged upon them. The pain of Palestine is then "private" and
cannot be shared with other simply due to the manner in which their pain is
portrayed by the media. This might be attributed to the societal beliefs of
those countires. For instance, Isrealis might socially conditioned to believe
that the war is a just one. Thus, it can be seen that media can affect the
manner in which pain is experienced, as it is able to convey information to
the masses whilst also having the ability to create inaccurate impressions.

In sum, there are a multitude of factors that affect one's experience and
expression of pain. However, these factors largely boil down to the social
influence that one experiences. Globalisation, capitalism and the utilisation
of media are all within the control of mankind. The societal beliefs of a
community can shape the direction and manner in which these factors are
used and affect other communities. It might be noted that experiences of
pain influenced by social behaviour (as Durkehim suggests) might see
significant shifts in the future. People are becoming more aware to the
social ills created by negative social influences. Communities are rallying
together to advocate for the seperation of relgiion and state, such that
people are free to do as they please. More are also becoming aware of the
harmful effects of religious dogmatism as there have been cries to abolish
conversion therapy in certain countires due to its harmful effects. Asian
countries are now advocating for greater emphasis on the impportance of
mental health. Slowly, the pain experienced due to negative social
influences might change for the better. However, one might surmise that
the pain experienced due to unrelenting globalisation might be far more
entrenched. The ills caused by globalisation and consumerism is rooted in
the reliance on materialism. The association of materialism with happiness
is one that is entrenched in almost every single society today. Since it is
innate for mankind to seek happiness, materalism would continue unabated,
so will globalisation and all its ills. Thus, the pain experienced due to
globalisation might continue without an end in sight. In sum, to assert that
pain is only ever experienced "privately" is far too absolute. One must take
into account societal structures and beliefs and realise that they can cause
pain to be experienced both "privately" and "publicly".