The Boundary of the "Self": Bertrand Russell and the Pain of Others
Russell's Strange Prediction
The British philosopher Bertrand Russell, in his 1940 work An Inquiry into Meaning and Truth, wrote a deeply provocative passage:
"Probably in time physiologists will be able to make nerves connecting the bodies of different people; this will have the advantage that we shall be able to feel (for example) another man's tooth aching."While Russell’s tone is characteristically dry and witty, he is pointing toward a profound epistemological barrier: the fact that my experiences are mine alone, and can never be directly transmitted to another person.
The Western Perspective: Understanding through Disconnection
In the West, particularly in the English-speaking world, there is a strong "individualistic" premise: the mind of one person and the mind of another are physically and existentially separate.
To them, the mind of another is essentially a "black box." Because this disconnection is taken as a given, people bridge the gap through:
Logical verbal explanations
Objective data (e.g., pain scales)
Rational imagination (Empathy)
Because there is an inherent distance that feels "unknowable," a specific ethic of trying to step into another’s shoes (the "Golden Rule") has flourished.
The Japanese Perspective: The Ambiguity of Boundaries
In contrast, in Japanese culture, the pain of others is often felt as something that should be "sensed intuitively" (sashi) rather than explained.
Concepts like ishin-denshin (telepathy/heart-to-heart communication) suggest that the boundaries between self and other are more fluid. In Japan, being told "you don't understand the pain of others" carries a heavy moral weight, implying a lack of humanity or "warmth," rather than a mere lack of communication skill.
Conclusion: A World of Connected Nerves
If, as Russell imagined, technology allowed our nerves to be physically linked and the pain of another’s toothache flowed directly into us, would we truly be happier?
If the boundaries vanished and the distinction between "self" and "other" disappeared, misunderstandings might vanish, but so too would our individual independence. Perhaps it is only because of this distance -- this "unknowing" -- that we are forced to use language and make a conscious effort to respect one another.
Would you truly want to live in a world where the pain of others is felt directly as your own?
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