The Pretend Pain Paradox

[@Rafa-te6lz]

"Think of yourself as dead. You have lived your life. Now, take what's left and live it properly" Marcus Aurelius

[@rosetheserpent]

How would I like to remember me

[@sulavadhikari5843]

watching this video felt like a system update for my brain

[@GeeHyness22]

Exactly

[@FalloutBreakbeat]

I think each new more painful event adjusts our tolerance and perspective. Kids cry at everything because, when they drop their ice cream on the floor, it's genuinely the worst thing that's ever happened to them in their short lives. Similarly, when you've experience a terrible life trauma, someone being mean to you on the street or losing your job hardly even touches you.

[@Novastar.SaberCombat]

PRECISELY. When you've held a partially crushed skull in your hands, stared into their dying eyes and watched them fade out as they mumbled their final phrases before slipping beyond the void veil... ummm, yeah. :/ "Oh noez, some internut troll decided to go on a random rant about me and told all of her freaky internut friends to report, mock, block, cajole and troll me. OHHH NOEZ. What now, oh, social media gawdz, what now". LOL #meaningless Good luck, everyone. yer gonna need it when you experience reality. And it *IS* comin' for ya. Everyone's Fate is identical, suckah.

[@samarsingh9196]

Life is largely a mental game, where our thoughts and reactions are profoundly shaped by the influence of others

[@Betttty]

Can't you influence your own reactions and thoughts

[@MrMelonsz]

⁠@@Betttty We can, but at the same time, nobody could live life without the influence of others to shape them into a grown, critically-thinking being.

[@jaden-m3j]

youve just addet so mutch to my arsenal of " why would you kill youreself" wepons. my whole family is struggeling mentally and i always was the one who never suffered even though horrible shit happend to me. I will talk about this with them and show them this video, Great work !

[@N-4-you]

Honestly, your videos are the best I've seen on youtube, like the clips and text and everything just fits so well, and then the fact that it's a channel about philosophy which i am obsessed with since i was like 10, you are just the light in my day thanks for everything man

[@AngeloSomers]

Damn I really appreciate that man thank you

[@GeeHyness22]

Finding your channel changed my life. Every new video helps me grow just a little bit more. Thank you. Don't ever stop!

[@ChrisAlvarezAlvarezImaging]

Hear, Hear!

[@ronneyrendon]

I find that volunteering REALLY helps me A LOT. Something amazing happens when you get out of your own head & help someone else; in my own experience it feels good seeing someone worse off than yourself smile & say thank you. Even if they don’t say thanks it still feels good knowing that I did something positive for someone else. Plus it helps me stop focusing on my own problems & that in & of itself is worth its weight in gold.

[@edgelessuser5]

This is something I think about a decent amount. Are you volunteering to help people or because it makes you feel better about yourself? It's hard to tell, because on one hand if nobody felt good helping others or even if the helped people didn't feel good about it, then would anyone do it?

[@DrillDojo]

Wait, this actually changed the way I felt. Thank you.

[@HigherSelfKorea]

Holy! That's some deep stuff! I actually fell into the trap thinking that all the bad stuff happens to ME, never even considering the perspective that maybe others are suffering more. Thank you man!

[@mikell.6064]

Don’t know.. I tried to pretend that I didn’t feel much.. I burnt out. I think that the better thing is to allow ourselves to suffer and validate our feelings that we DO have it worse than others in that moment. However, the thing is not to get stuck in that mindset. I think it’s ok to rely on others when we feel weak, we shouldn’t feel responsibility for being the strongest person all the time. The key to suffering successfully in my opinion is social support.

[@shaunh1725]

Love the perspective! I do want to say that I think the protagonist in the thought experiment didn’t try to pretend that he wasn’t who he was. He truly believed he had it worse than everyone, so he acted like he did. Then on his second go at life, he truly believed he only felt 80% pain, and so it was true to himself.

[@AngeloSomers]

@@shaunh1725 for sure, and the pain wasn’t easier the second time around he knew that too, he just stopped playing the game of comparing his suffering to others all together

[@mikell.6064]

Totally agree, I would add that validating our emotions to how we feel truly in that moment regardless of how it compares to others is what would be beneficial. I didn’t mean to say that comparing adds any benefit, it totally worsens it.

[@thenew4559]

I think the key is to realize that suffering has great purpose and is key to building a strong character, if you just learn to embrace it. It is not a thing to fear, curse, or avoid; suffering is a thing to voluntarily take on in life. We must become thankful for our suffering, and even love it, because suffering is an inevitable part of life, and we must love life fully, both its ups and its downs. You can only avoid suffering by avoiding life itself, by wasting your life taking the path of least resistance, which will cause far more regret and mental suffering in the long run. I’d recommend reading Nietzsche, or just watching some videos covering his philosophy of suffering.

[@shaunh1725]

@@thenew4559 Ayeee, I’m a huge fan of Nietzsche’s optimistic nihilism. I would posit that people experience and tolerate pain differently. Unfortunately for Nietzsche himself, all the suffering he experienced in life drove him into catatonia. The protagonist in the video embraced not just the suffering, but the pleasure from life he got from finding a loving relationship with his partner and connecting with the sick patients in the cancer ward too!

[@VisheshKr-m4e]

couldnt find a better video..and may be i never will ...you are amazing bro

[@DoxyYT]

Im so glad i did not miss on this masterpiece

[@swifttalksworld]

Me too

[@JohannLiebert-p2c]

I have never said this, but I guess I have to. I found the best KZbin channel ever.

[@AngeloSomers]

@@JohannLiebert-p2c legend

[@ezram.4484]

this is phenomenal

[@AngeloSomers]

my guyy

[@NeoSoc-n8r]

I found this thought experiment to be thoughtful and profound. It can create perseverance that didn't exist before one may have taken it into consideration. However, I have a crucial concern, and I think it gets to the heart of why the narrative of personal perseverance and overcoming suffering can be problematic when it becomes a tool for judgment rather than empowerment. When thought experiments like the flea or the Jesus story are used to suggest that everyone can overcome their suffering if they just persevere or change their mindset, they can inadvertently reinforce a harmful narrative. It becomes easier for people to dismiss the very real, systemic challenges others face, attributing those challenges solely to the individual’s lack of effort or willpower. For example, if someone is born into poverty, faces systemic racism, or struggles with mental illness, telling them that their suffering is just a result of not trying hard enough, or not seeing their pain in the "right" way, can feel incredibly dismissive and harmful. It ignores the broader societal and structural forces at play and suggests that people who are struggling simply don’t “deserve” to be helped or don’t have the capacity to change. This was slightly addressed in the video with the man's second life involving the practice of empathy for others in their own suffering, as long as we keep this in perspective and reject notions of moralizing meritocracy and other harmful stigmas I think it can be a powerful message. Loved the video.

[@Ripred0219]

Just wanted to note this is not only articulated but a very much valid concern. I have to ask out of curiosity, do you have some sort of formal training?

[@cisbani_sw]

One of the most insightful, inspiring, moving and intelligent video I have ever seen, I cried for the most part, should be a must watch in worldwide education, would change a lot of perspectives, thank you a lot for creating such story

[@AngeloSomers]

Thank you 🤝

[@angeloduminuco7176]

Your videos are a piece of art. Great content and great editing, you changed mt life thanks.

[@theol0]

Thank you for inspiring me to continue peering behind the veil and cherishing my ambition. I hope to inspire others to be intentional and kind in their lives, like the example you have set. Thank you

[@motiblah470]

Omg!!! A banger video my guy. I want more of this.

[@bengtaylor]

Damnnnn okay that is giving me some next level awesome vibes and some pretty crazy inspiration. Masterfully done Angelo this is incredible!

[@ahobimo732]

This has to be the gaslighting-est gaslighting that ever did gaslight.

[@propertymanagementbcn]

whatever happens. Keep going, you're doing amazing Angelo

[@FollowerOfTao]

I anticipated that ending. I have held this belief for a long time, and my family and friends have noticed the results that I have to show for it. We set our own "life difficulty" through our complaints. Not our complaints to others, but our complaints to ourselves. I don't mean to say that pain is, "all in your head," but in the end it is your decisions that define you, and it is your choice whether you let your pain define those decisions.

[@AngeloSomers]

@FollowerOfTao bars

[@redsalmon9966]

The amount of people finding it impactful actually surprised me because as much as I want to share the same sentiment, I don’t. The thing is, the MC surely could be experiencing only 1/5 of the pain and suffering, but he’s more than ok to say that it’s crushing him to a point where he decided to off himself. It’s easy to place Keanu there and said “you had the same strength” but in reality it doesn’t really have to be the case. To people saying this changes them in a good way, I’m glad it did but at the same point I can also see people who struggled for so long and instead of celebrating them for not doing it for another day, this essentially blames them for it. “You had it in you, you just didn’t pull through”. Well like they would prefer death than a happy life if to them there was an alternative. Perspectives go both ways.

[@smajliiicka]

0:42...I had to pause and giggle for a bit here... Strap in, this'll be a ride ✌🏼 10:51 - bro, this is the 3rd time you made me cry with your videos lol, thanks for that :) Peaceful holidays, Angelo, much love from New Zealand

[@AngeloSomers]

@@smajliiicka no way haha thank you!

[@smajliiicka]

@AngeloSomers 🙏🏼✨

[@ChrisAlvarezAlvarezImaging]

"It's not hard because you're conscious, you're conscious because it's hard" ooof.... May I use that? It's brilliant.

[@slayer3738]

I have a love hate relationship with you because each time I watch you I realize how near to perfection i am to becoming great, love you man

[@karnstienarmlets8764]

Keep it up this is amazing work, you have talent to be able to put these ideas into understandable words and metaphors. If you keep this up you will have no problem succeeding. And hopefully one day on your deathbed you will have created a video as impactful as the one in your story.

[@AngeloSomers]

@@karnstienarmlets8764 thank you 🙏 I hope so too

[@bullishtitan8223]

This was interesting. I've been developing a similar concept. Different angle but similar. Good stuff

[@art_pilat]

Youre gonna have a good time on YT Ang

[@AngeloSomers]

thank you very much sir

[@honchkrowhoodlum7545]

Thank you for making this.

[@fatalexcerpts]

It's a good thought experiment, one I wholeheartedly agree with. On the other hand, the flea experiment demonstrates the profound impact formative nurture can have on the trajectory of your life. It helps illustrate your point, but the essential problem here is that the guy in your thought experiment lived an entire second life with god's golden fleece woven throughout his psyche. This is not a criticism per se, more a caveat. What I'm saying is this is a great video if you're 14-18 years old and having issues, but obviously your sense of self is developing. So, the sooner you start working on this the better. Think of it in terms of Rotten Tomatoes movie scores. The early scores have the most profound impact, but the further scores come in the less each single one can have a decisive sway. In other words, you can reconceptualize your perspective, and should do so, but the older you are the more of a battle you face because the persistence of memory (embodied trauma, maladaptive self-talk/mental loops, subconscious programming) requires CONSTANT vigilance. As soon as you're caught slipping because life catches up to you all that shit reasserts itself. Having the ability to emotionally re-engage memories, with some kind of psychedelic guided therapy as seems to be what's trending, I think is a potential good start. The ability to edit or delete memories altogether could be a slippery slope, but adding new ones... like inserting years of a whole childhood/young adult mentor? That would be game changing.

[@terrygetscreative]

And of course Angelo uses the meme guy to illustrate such a topic🙌

[@digitaldrreamer]

Thank you man. You've often said things that I was afraid to think. Because when I speak to people about my thoughts, very few can relate (or try to)... Watching your videos make me know that I'm not crazy❤

[@AngeloSomers]

legend. and yeah don't worry man, we are all crazy ;)

[@digitaldrreamer]

@AngeloSomers 🤜🤛❤️

[@HoboGardenerBen]

​@@AngeloSomersSo glad you said that, we are definitely all half-crazy semi-self-aware ape creatures. I'm constantly entertained by the fountain of madness within me, imagination is friggin weird :)

[@ramontrindade1468]

In my spare time I try to get close to philosophy.Not only by books of Rene Descartes,stoicism and by Platos thinking but also by KZbin I work in a kitchen and my routine does make sure to be often intense. I say for myself that your videos catches some helpful insight That I use in my writings every once in a while when I find myself time to guide my thinking to write. I hope and wish all the best for your channel ✍️

[@LewisBritten]

Beautiful video mate

[@trlseam]

this is like stealing candy from a baby, which is fine by me.

[@AngeloSomers]

i am deeply confused by this comment however thank u for commenting sir

[@snehal5248]

Same bro same​@@AngeloSomers

[@darrennew8211]

I remember a sci-fi novel where a group of soldiers had been raised from birth entirely in a VR environment. When they finally escape, one of them says "Oh, I remember this setting. Be careful, pain is about 5x normal here."

[@abcdefzhij]

Very profound video, thank you

[@TimBarrett-b2u]

As someone who works in a Hospital, I wish that our protagonist's view of death was more common. You see so many people either scared or acting like dickheads to the people trying to help them. It makes you lose faith in Humanity a bit, and I hope a few people try and change that.

[@Ripred0219]

Fascinating thought experiment, very well conceptualized and original! I'm so curious though how do these thoughts come to you... do you feel like they are given to you? Also why do you care to help people by sharing these allegories?

[@Ripred0219]

If I'm half as lucky to get those questions answered then I have another one for you if possible. What do you make of the purpose of lives such as Gabriel Fernandez's. How does such arbitrary evil fit into your narrative of the world?

[@AnthonyWasiukiewicz]

Thanks

[@AngeloSomers]

@@AnthonyWasiukiewicz thank you!!! 🙏

[@meharr.]

I love you angelo.

[@ArphelC]

Babe wake up; Angelo posted a new video! Christmas came early 🎉

[@ArphelC]

sn: the metaphor reminded of curt richters rat experiment! As always bro great vid! Hope you have a great Christmas and the new years is full of success and prosperity!

[@AngeloSomers]

@@ArphelC to you too sir!

[@VeneraBerens-n7d]

❤ NOT YELLING ALMOST COMPLETELY BLIND CAPS HELP GMORNING AND MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE I HAVE DISCOVERED AS A SENIOR CITIZEN AUTISTIC WOMAN THAT WHILE PHYSICAL PAIN DOES EXHIST IN US AS FORM OF SELF PRESERVATION WHICH AUTISTIC PEOPLE LIKE ME DO NOT HAVE I THINK PEOPLE ARE CONDITIONED MENTALLY HOW TO REACT TO EMOTIONAL PAIN BY THE PEOPLE AROUND THEM SOMETIMES BUT ITS RATHER HARD FOR ME TO UNDERSTAND PERSONALLY BECAUSE UNFORTUNATELY I AM ONE OF THOSE UNFORTUNATE PEOPLE WHO DO NOT EXPERIENCE PAIN OR HAVE A NECESSARY FEAR REFLEX SO I AM UNFORTUNATELY UNABLE TO TELL WHEN IM IN TROUBLE IVE HAD TO TRAIN MYSELF TO BE MORE THOUGHTFUL OF SITUATIONS THIS IS AN AMAZING GREAT ENLIGHTENING VIDEO THANKYOU FOR SHARING THIS GIFT WITH US CONTINUE TO RISE TO YOUR GREATNESS YOU ARE LOVED AND APPRECIATED 💯🖖🤙✌️👍🙃

[@mybunnyfuzz]

Considering oneself to be an ancient serpent waking up in human form causes pain to process differently. Catharsis is temporary.

[@KameranRussell-cq1bs]

Did I just find the best youtube video? Sure well feels like I did

[@AngeloSomers]

@@KameranRussell-cq1bs my guyy

[@MichaelBarry-gz9xl]

Well... That was an emotional roller coaster. 😂

[@olgaloiek]

WOW this is fantastic👏👏👏

[@AngeloSomers]

Thank you!

[@Alex_Vlad]

Can you do a video on free will? Love your videos.

[@comfortingabsurdity.]

Wow, that's eye opening

[@HoboGardenerBen]

That was good, thanks, be well :)

[@BillBellstedt]

Metaphorically everything in this video happened to me. Instead of death it was midlife. Is Christmas Eve where I'm at and I unfortunately have to spend tomorrow by myself. I thank you so much for this video cuz it just reminded me it's not about freaking presents it's about Jesus

[@AngeloSomers]

Sending you best wishes for the new year 🤝

[@-In1Minute-]

This is like if Exurbia was on every single drug possible. This is the top 10 greatest videos of 2024

[@Sx-xy2zi]

Exurb1a without the disturbing gaslighting of pieke

[@tonezic]

this was refreshing to watch.. it reminds me of exurbia for some reason

[@Kumlord]

STOP BRO I'm gonna cry

[@carterman4689]

Beatiful video

[@DondoDusppw]

In my very humble opinion, the background music can be a tiny bit louder, especially the Satie I feel like (but beautiful music choices ;)

[@Novastar.SaberCombat]

LOL @ the clips from "Limitless", hahahah. Also... holy cow, are people REALLY feeling all that downtrodden about such minor things?! I mean, I've endured some SUUUPER janky, extraordinarily rank circumstances for 30+ years... just one thing after another. And I lack coin, connections, crews, clout, computer code, control, corporate communities, and opulent opportunities. YET... I'M STILL AN AWARD-WINNING AUTHOR AND CONTENT CREATOR! :) Not a famous one, mind you, but a legitimate one. Zero A.I. content, zero STOLEN content, and zero boolsheet. Who else can claim such things? Almost no one.

[@nenenchov1421]

thank you

[@DivinePilled]

my life is too easy

[@noboundsj]

why am I talking to keanu reeves dressed as Jesus Christ with a red pill

[@Mansoor-Khan]

where did you get this story from or how did come up with it, what inspired you?

[@Mini_Console]

last part cant be true, im not talking about the lid but the jar, really? because would one accidentally land improperly and get out?

[@Sx-xy2zi]

This is quite interesting

[@AngeloSomers]

i'll take it

[@BackwardsKnees]

Crazy watching people repackage perspective and relativity in so many different ways, over and over under the guise of enlightenment and it's some breakthrough. 75% of pseudo "motivational" is basically those couple ideas over and over

[@angrydiver_4220]

Yep, finally someone else with common sense.

[@S12a4H07]

Beside keanu being god, very interesting video, but I wonder if this could also relate with placebos and other skeptic that limits ur visions and perspectives

[@Derek_Garnham]

- that was the best bit

[@hzs-p4i]

watching this at 3:30am

[@challelalle]

Great video, any books that inspired this?

[@Eric.Evergreen369]

Seriously, I don't get it. So his motivation to do all the great things in his second turn was the information, that his suffering was reduced by 80 %, right? But actually this was a lie. So.. what's the point? Should we lie to ourselves and pretending, that our suffering is less painful as it is for others? Is this somehow the suggested solution? Please enlighten me with an explanation, I seriously don't understand the meaning.

[@Sugondeesenuts]

waiting for the new drop

[@AngeloSomers]

just making the thumbnail and then it will be up

[@omarwasiem1223]

one day I went as a volenteer to help the poor and when i saw how they lived, how their houses looked, how hard their life is, I thanked Allah for the blessing of the life he gave me and how good it is compared to others

[@frostkiller]

All men die. Not all men die complaining.

[@zammypersonal]

Allah does not require of any soul more than what it can afford. All good will be for its own benefit, and all evil will be to its own loss. ˹The believers pray,˺ “Our Lord! Do not punish us if we forget or make a mistake. Our Lord! Do not place a burden on us like the one you placed on those before us. Our Lord! Do not burden us with what we cannot bear. Pardon us, forgive us, and have mercy on us. You are our ˹only˺ Guardian. So grant us victory over the disbelieving people.” Quran

[@EnderWays]

Bro stop making me cry 😂

[@simon_chy]

Holy Shit!

[@Aayushkumar-pi4tp]

What just happened.

[@oziegquma9477]

music description ?

[@اسلامابوزيد-ك8ه]

Why he smoking in heaven?

[@zammypersonal]

i hate you for using an imagine pretending to be Allah. thats Blasphemy regardless as someone who have a little knowledge of Quran, that reminded me of that verse of Quran. id like to recommend you to read Quran. You wont be disappointed. im sharing the verse which i remembered. لَا يُكَلِّفُ ٱللَّهُ نَفْسًا إِلَّا وُسْعَهَا ۚ لَهَا مَا كَسَبَتْ وَعَلَيْهَا مَا ٱكْتَسَبَتْ ۗ رَبَّنَا لَا تُؤَاخِذْنَآ إِن نَّسِينَآ أَوْ أَخْطَأْنَا ۚ رَبَّنَا وَلَا تَحْمِلْ عَلَيْنَآ إِصْرًۭا كَمَا حَمَلْتَهُۥ عَلَى ٱلَّذِينَ مِن قَبْلِنَا ۚ رَبَّنَا وَلَا تُحَمِّلْنَا مَا لَا طَاقَةَ لَنَا بِهِۦ ۖ وَٱعْفُ عَنَّا وَٱغْفِرْ لَنَا وَٱرْحَمْنَآ ۚ أَنتَ مَوْلَىٰنَا فَٱنصُرْنَا عَلَى ٱلْقَوْمِ ٱلْكَـٰفِرِينَ ٢٨٦ Allah does not require of any soul more than what it can afford. All good will be for its own benefit, and all evil will be to its own loss. ˹The believers pray,˺ “Our Lord! Do not punish us if we forget or make a mistake. Our Lord! Do not place a burden on us like the one you placed on those before us. Our Lord! Do not burden us with what we cannot bear. Pardon us, forgive us, and have mercy on us. You are our ˹only˺ Guardian. So grant us victory over the disbelieving people.”

[@Fabelaz]

Yeah, perception is key and all that, but how about not using ai art when not needed? There should be enough elderly stock photos, no?

[@R4Z4K1N]

there is hidden symbolism here. nice

[@nickmagrick7702]

10:18 This happens not because the fleas psychology changes, but their muscle use atrophied to adjust to their new environment

[@Supremetoastzx]

Is this the same for the pike experiment?

[@nickmagrick7702]

@@Supremetoastzx No. What the video poster is suggesting is that its fleas learned helplessness, its not. Its more like Veil where a cow gets tied down to a post and never learns to walk. Its more about the fact they don't use their muscles to their full capacity.

[@FluBluBoy]

The brain is a muscle just like any other muscle my friend.

[@nickmagrick7702]

@@FluBluBoy Thats not whats happening with the fleas

[@ABHEEeeee]

I felt nothing.

[@Amongusfan0]

How did you read my mind??

[@chief8559]

Too bad I’m not a pretender

[@kubakuczera8647]

Do i just see Jesus with a cigarette?

[@EvanLovesWhiskey]

You remind me of a certain space turtle

[@kaushaljain9950]

Why is john wick god tho

[@jackpaperhands]

haha, love ya man

[@devasheeshsharma3298]

Video is entirely wrong, its just something maybe the author wants to say to himself. Research discards downward comparison to make you a better person. Im not sure if the author of this video has done any research or just had a internal conversation and came to spread toxicity.

[@devasheeshsharma3298]

Honestly speaking this is riddled with logical fallacies and a lot of it is just conjecture completely saying ohh whatever happened to you, worse happened to other people, which simply in terms of psychological research is the worst advice. A lot of people have built up trauma, and saying it is what it is or saying i have it easy never resolves the problems, also “flees” aren’t introspecting beings. Resolving your trauma and working hard is the way to make your life easier, and statistically speaking yes luck exists, you can’t just deny it. Its a good thought experiment, but not the right one unfortunately.

[@spicyshallots8943]

I beg to differ. When people are given a "standard" they will stick to that idea. Alot of religions use this tactic aswell so i dont know where u get that psychological research

[@eldromedario3315]

Exactly, so asinine ! If someone else suffers more than you, you won't feel better, that doesn't diminish your own suffering and how much it hurts to you personally !

[@devasheeshsharma3298]

@@spicyshallots8943maybe they shouldn’t, maybe they should question it instead of listening to a preacher saying “ god is testing you” or “ you should believe that everything is fine” no its not. You cant solve a problem if you can’t accept that there is none.

[@devasheeshsharma3298]

@@spicyshallots8943 let me list the papers “ white k and lehman, 2005” Buunk, BP and Ybema, JF (1997) Testa M(1990) Before making comments like “ where are you getting your research from” do your own research

[@spicyshallots8943]

@@devasheeshsharma3298 it isnt abt maybe its abt that they do it and it works for them it makes them cope. Everyone that lives believes in a lie.

[@eldromedario3315]

BS

[@thanthethi]

Is this just an exurbia clone?

[@ajaybritton7924]

Wow. I'm first. 🥳

[@art_pilat]

We got ourselves a winner!

[@AngeloSomers]

FIRRSTTTTTT

[@yocula2587]

Banger Video but god damn that face is disturbing 7:42

[@lehongduong132]

dislike for AI images

[@bloodmoondefense]

lol