Tess, this is a *wonderful* piece. You approach it so reasonably, inquisitively, and comfortably. And I love the bits of history and philosophy included--the Schopenhauer quote in particular. I have read some interesting articles discussing the interplay between endorphins and adrenaline and pain tolerance. I find your writing to be an encouragement to (ahem) hit this topic a little harder. Thank you for sharing!