Curiously, there are a small number of people who don’t feel any pain at all. They suffer from a conditionknown as congenital insensitivity to pain(CIP). People with CIP can still tell the difference between hot and cold things. They also know if objects are dull or sharp. However, they are not aware of extremes. So, they won’t feel pain if they burn themselves or slice their finger with a knife.
So far, there are only about 20 cases of CIP on record. However, experts believe that many more people have had it, but that they probably died from injuries before it could be identified. A young man, named Stefan Betz, is someone living with CIP. The 25-year-old says that many people think his inabilityto feel pain is a superpower. Betz disagrees, though. He thinks that not feeling any pain has made his life more difficult.
As a child, he bit part of his tongue off and broke his foot after jumping down the stairs. In both cases, he didn’t notice anything was wrong. If his parents hadn’t noticed, his injuries could have gotten much worse. To survive, Betz must constantly remind himself to be careful about everything. So, the next time you are hurt in an accident, don’t hate the pain you feel. Keep in mind that it is a gift from nature that is keeping you safe.
