We don't like to think about pain; even pain by proxy is uncomfortable. Generally, people dealing with chronic pain and chronic illness are shamed into silence for making people uncomfortable simply by existing. The tech industry does not escape this attitude, despite our focus on wellness tools, apps, and the desperate desire to code away vulnerability.

As an industry whose decisions affect thousands to millions of people, we need to start building compassion into our products, our workplaces, ourselves. Let's get uncomfortable. Let's talk about pain.