“Pain does not last continuously in the flesh; the extreme pain lasts a very short time, and pain which does not surpass bodily pleasure in intensity lasts only a few days.”Epicur · Maximele fundamentale · -280 · Maxima 4
Pain can never be both extreme and long-lasting: the body cannot sustain maximum intensity for long.
Epicurus, himself a chronic sufferer, observes a structure in pain: the body cannot sustain maximum intensity for long. Acute pain fades fast or kills; chronic pain dulls through habituation and mixes with whatever pleasures remain. The mechanism is both physiological and psychological: nerves adapt, attention redistributes. Anyone who has had a terrible toothache knows that after treatment, the memory of its intensity fades quickly. The maxim serves to shrink the dread of anticipated suffering.
Why it matters Practical comfort before surgery, chronic illness, or pain in general: the worst moment will not last the way you imagine.