It also depends on the context where the physical beating happens, not just the intensity.

For example imagine being beaten in front of your best friends, who are too afraid to intervene (maybe they realistically didn't have a chance, but you feel that they should have done something) -- that would hurt beyond the pain of beating itself. For a guy, being beaten in front of the girl he has crush on, probably means losing status and reproductive chances. Also the context determines the probability that the same thing will happen again: being beaten in the school where you must go every day, is worse than being beaten in a dark street you can avoid next time.