I'm afraid I cannot agree with you. Consider this analogy;
If all humans, both male and female, looked exactly the same in appearance, would there need to be a word such as "gorgeous" that speaks to a level of aesthetic superiority? I don't believe there would be a need for one, as it wouldn't be recognizable, and this is how the message I was trying to convey.
You could even look at it a different way in a visual sense. Imagine the word "Happiness" written in perfect white, upon a perfect white background. You wouldn't be able to see it at all. But, start adding in some black to represent suffering on the background, and you will begin to see the lettering that spells out the word happiness.
I understand the message you were trying to convey, it's just that I don't believe you need hate and negativity in the world, to be enjoy the emotional states of being positive and happy.
You don't need to know about arid deserts to appreciate and enjoy, the sweet tasting waters of a fresh mountain spring.....
I don't think this analogy places the right items on the scales of balance, so to speak.
You don't need to know a desert in order to enjoy the taste of water. But, you do need a dry throat and a feeling of thirst in order to know that you need water, let alone to enjoy it.
point taken, I agree.
Ok, does a baby need to be told how to be happy, filled with joy?
I'm not expert, but from what I know, no. It is an innate emotion.
So why would the absence of 'pain', sadness stop that being an emotion it feels?
If a baby didn't know sadness would it still know joy, happiness..?
Ergo, you do not need to comprehend 'the negative', to enjoy the positive.
I hope my clumsy attempts to put my point across are okay -
I don't posses your education in philosophy, I think.
But my points are still valid, as I see.
Cheers
You can experience the beauty life without ever knowing, or encountering, death.....