The article discusses the impact of past experiences on people's perception of pain. The authors, Frederickson and Kahneman, conducted an experiment to measure the effect of pain duration on people's judgment of subsequent pain. In the experiment, participants were asked to immerse their hands in either 14 degrees Celsius water for 30 seconds or 15 degrees Celsius water for 1 minute. Afterwards, they were given the option to choose between experiencing either a mild or intense pain. The results showed that 80% of participants chose the milder pain option, suggesting that people tend to prefer shorter-lasting pains over longer-lasting ones. The article highlights the role of memory in shaping people's perception of pain and how past experiences can influence their judgment of subsequent pain.