Please don’t try and label me as devil’s advocate for having an opinion that differs from yours. I did not label you, and I respect your opinion, I just gave my opinion in response. This is a forum after all 
I’m also certainly not complacent, no matter how you want to spin it… I guess I’m maybe just more careful or reserved in my approach to gameplay (or lucky … who knows?).
Anyway, going back a ways when the devs originally started discussing death penalties, they wanted to make sure that it meant something. That it was important … a challenge, with threat. It’s a sentiment I still agree with now. It shouldn’t be easy to just run around and do everything, especially on the harder worlds where you’re more likely to gain better rewards … you shouldn’t be able to get to them so quickly … and you should certainly not be able to easily survive on them without being geared up or have help. For reference, this is the post I was thinking of … Art: Plinth and Container Props
My feeling is, if durability loss is too low, then that required threat is significantly reduced, and thus, so is the challenge.
There was also another thread which discussed the possibility of increasing the durability of tools and that things like durability would be affected by progression … Durability of Tools (Recorded information)
So, whilst it may seem unfair at the moment, because you think losing 25% of the current tools is a lot … there are a bunch of systems that aren’t in place yet. The actual initial durability of items is not really set yet. Essentially, what I am saying is that, if the initial durability of gold tools etc. were increased, either by progression or otherwise, then it would take some of the edge off your dislike of the 25% durability loss.