If you experience pain in a dream, it often mirrors an inner state you carry into waking life — a signal that your own mindset may be generating unhappiness that isn't entirely necessary.
This kind of dream can point to regret over something relatively minor that you've given more weight than it deserves.
Watching others suffer in a dream invites you to look more honestly at your own choices — the image may be reflecting patterns in your life that aren't serving you well.