Man’s solitude is part of his everyday existence. It reveals itself especially in his work, his sadness and in his suffering as pointed out by the philosopher Emmanuel Levinas. Can we hope that one day science and technology will eliminate pain, suffering and even death? This is the question raised by this article. In it, we try to distinguish between pain and suffering; to consider the purpose and the effects of pain; to ask whether or not a person has the right to be treated for pain with everything that is available and to make proposals on the ethics of compassion.