I grew up on the Canadian prairies, where it's a frigid -40*C in the winter (generally for four-five months) and incredibly hot and dry in the summer (something like +30*C and up). Honestly, both extremes suck. That's why I love living on the coast now.
I've endured temperatures of -20 celcius. I didn't find it too bad; after a certain degree under zero, you hardly feel the difference. I'd rather feel numbness because of the cold than complete exhaustion because of the heat.
-20 is nothing, though. As I said, it routinely gets -40*C, which is twice as cold, and trust me, you can feel the difference.
personally if I had to compare 40+ degrees with -40 degrees, at least at -40 I'm not collapsing down on the floor suffering from an apparent heat stroke. at least at -25, you might feel some stinging sensation, but that's way more manageable than 40+
No, you just get frostbite on any exposed skin and can't breathe without it burning. I mean, if the logic is applied the other way, it sounds just as ridiculous, "It was 20*C out here today, and that was fine, so I'm sure 40*C wouldn't be bad".
true, I don't know what it feels like to be in +40 or -40. at most I've experienced +35 and -25. I would still stick with my word and say I'd rather have -25 than +25 (-20 happens on the regular in the colder seasons around here)