In this book philosopher Arne Vetlesen addresses pain in many forms: the pain inflicted in torture and the pain suffered in incurable disease; the pain accompanying anxiety, grief, and depression; the pain brought by violence; and the pain exposed in the television show Big Brother. He also examines the
dual nature of pain: how we avoid it as much as possible in our daily lives; yet
conversely we receive a thrill from seeking it and from the danger it represents. In this sense, pain is about overstepping boundaries.