I could try to describe the sensations of childbirth by reference to a common experience – CP for example. Even then, I can’t be sure our experiences were identical. I’ve described my last caning at school as “six of the VERY best” to emphasize the severity. It was more severe than any I’d previously received. The visible signs suggested it was more severe than any of my friends at the time received but that was all we could all we could really compare. We couldn’t compare how much it hurt. Also, from the marks others have described being left with after a caning, most of mine were probably less severe and my “six of the VERY best” was probably no more severe than a standard “six of the best” in other schools.
I saw a news item recently about blood donors, calling for more people to donate. The procedure was described as painless and a donor was shown having the needle inserted. He showed no sign of any discomfort. I’ve seen it first hand too, with other donors (male and female) who don’t react to the venipuncture at all. I always react, to me it hurts, yet the procedure is exactly the same for all of us.
This suggests there is a psychological aspect to the perception of pain. That doesn’t necessarily mean that those who fear pain feel it more (although the converse might be true). I fear needles per se, not the pain I associate with them. I don’t fear canes in the same way, even though I associate a greater level of pain with them than I do with needles. It is a very complex phenomenon.
You also open a can of worms here! …because this discussion is narrowly confined to physical pain only.
Who is to say that the psychological, emotional or mental pain inflicted by some other process is not experienced more intensely by, or in fact more damaging to, the person experiencing it?
As an on-topic analogy, who can say that isolating a pupil into solitary ISS confinement is not a more intensely painful psychological experience for that person than a short sharp shock would otherwise have been?
Just as you’ve eloquently outlined above, we simply cannot know this. Only the person who experiences it can know it, and hence the often alluded situation within this forum where SCP was chosen by the pupil themself over the alternative offered. !
Where you say,
But I also believe that many schools, that used the cane as an ultimate deterrent, especially towards the end of its use (70’s, 80’s) may have profoundly damaged psychologically many who never experienced it.
Yes, when something is rarely used I agree that there is an element of truth to this.
I can produce other quotes to that effect if.
That is why I believe Mercurio (Caning: Educational Rite and Tradition, Syracuse Uni. Press, NY, 1972) had it right when he summarized that for SCP to be salutary and effective, two conditions must exist:
It must be universally accepted, and it must be universally expected.
If what you highlight is truly an overriding concern, then it leaves two logical courses in any situation where CP is used exceedingly rarely.
They should either
(a) remove it entirely as it is little-used anyway and has this outsized harm elelment assigned to it, or
(b) step up its application so as to make it a normal and regular occurrence, thereby eliminating any psychological issues resulting from a feeling of being unjustly singled out and treated otherwise by one’s peers.
I’m sure the same applies to persons in prison.
Whilst a truly progressive society should be highly capable of abolishing this throwback to the dark ages quite readily, if they have not yet attained that level of understanding, then perhaps an increase in incarceration rates should be considered so as to make it more commonplace.
It appears most are in agreement that pain is an individual experience.
Some have a higher tolerance than others, with the person’s gender making not the slightest difference.
From general conversations I have formed an opinion women tend to admit they deserve their school CP, whether this is widespread or not I have no idea.
Speaking on my behalf I didn’t break a school rule with the intention of getting caught, quite the opposite, but on detection, my only concern wasn’t the pain, but if I was going to show myself up by blubbering.
Luckily I never did, quite a few did, which probably indicates they had a lower pain threshold than me, or they couldn’t hold their emotions together as well.
