I think that the way we handle localised pain vs general pain (and in particular heat and cold) has a lot more to do with how we grew up. If you spent a lot of

I think that the way we handle localised pain vs general pain (and in particular heat and cold) has a lot more to do with how we grew up. If you spent a lot of time in the outdoors/elements as a kid, you're going to be a lot better at handling adverse environmental conditions. I spent my childhood wearing shorts and sandals to school, even when it was literally freezing outside (never really got much below freezing though). I also think that 15 C is comfortable inside temperature because half the houses in New Zealand don't have good insulation and heating, if any. I also never need sunglasses; I never wore them as a kid because I wore prescription glasses instead. I handle direct pain fairly well too, because I grew up with two older brothers, one of whom enjoyed hitting me to the point that in retrospect I'd classify it as sibling abuse. I also spent a lot of my adolescence and university years doing physical work in kitchens and on building sites. Injuries such as burns, bruises, and cuts don't really bother me. Loud noises don't bother me either, from a combination of power tools, using firearms without adequate protection, and spending too long in front of large speakers in nightclubs and at festivals. People who haven't grown up handling particular discomforts and conditions will be less willing and/or capable of handling them as an adult.