Scientists have been looking for an answer to this question for a long time – and have been heavily criticized for it. Why it is important to make suffering measurable, whether it is about depression, back pain or cancer.
For example, it can happen in the discussion about Long Covid. Suddenly you are surrounded by difficult questions. Is it true that the long-term consequences of Covid-19 cause more suffering than any other disease? Or isn’t it more the case that the pain of different illnesses cannot be compared at all? That every attempt at this is like the thing with apples and pears and also a bit yucky? Playing diseases off against each other, how can you?