I ' m a believer that while we from the outside can see the qualitative difference in suffering from the inside people can ' t . They may be aware that they aren ' t starving in a war torn country but the feeling is so intense that it is suffering nonetheless . All suffering is equal in that respect I think . And I wonder if to qualify someone ' s pain and misery with that ' s not real suffering has much value . I think it was Buddha that said life is suffering . From that perspective the feelings of the prince and pauper are equal even if we see that suffering differently . I find that a powerful idea . Of course to work through that suffering the prince must come to the realization that others suffer worse . Even the pauper must do the same .