No.305123
People like to say suffering “builds character” or “makes you stronger,” but that idea is only half true at best. Struggle can force growth when there’s support, safety, and room to process what happened. Some people do come out of hardship with deeper empathy, resilience, or clarity about what matters. But that growth isn’t automatic, and it’s not owed to the pain itself. Often it comes despite the suffering, not because of it, through reflection, help from others, or sheer luck in having the resources to heal.
Just as often, suffering doesn’t strengthen someone at all; it wears them down. Chronic stress, trauma, and loss can rewire the brain toward fear, numbness, or hopelessness. Instead of “character,” you get anxiety, depression, mistrust, or burnout. Saying suffering is good for you can quietly invalidate people who were harmed by it and never got the chance to recover. Pain isn’t a forge that reliably produces stronger people, it’s a risk. Sometimes people adapt and grow, and sometimes they’re left carrying damage that was never fair to ask them to endure in the first place.
No.305124
The people who say that are the ones who don't suffer
No.305125
The people who say that are often those who have suffered the most.
No.305126
>>305123thanks but i prefer my suffering till death
No.305130
Something something zone of optimal performance, flow psychology
No.305131
>>305130Nah it's just the principle of threshold force. If it doesn't break you it makes you more resilient. Yeah sure you end up really twisted in places but ugh such is life I guess.
OP is likely just on a self pity spree trying to rationalize his inability to cope. Should get better in a few days.
No.305137
I remember being made to read a book about Soviet refugees that escaped the gulag. And later in life in New Zealand they weren't really any better off for it. They just worked the lowest of wagecuck jobs, were sorta socially isolated and did weird things like hoard bread crusts in their drawer. The US soldiers that escorted them to the country were commenting on how they just seemed lifeless and distrusting, emotionless even as they were given candy and sweets.
There was a guy at my old job who was completely normal until a group of guys kidnapped him and locked him under a carpit for several days. He almost died of dehydration. He came out of that a barely functioning alcoholic that would melt down when anyone would yell at him. He was constantly the victim of confidence tricks.
No.305145
what about all the ones who kill themselves, "builds character" lmao
No.305146
I have actually come to the opposite conclusion that I need to be in a good mood to be productive and resilient towards life's problems. I still think the zone of optimal development thing is the best explanation. People need to suffer but only as much as they can handle and too much or too little is not good. The improvebrahs can romanticize suffering because their actual life is comfortable so more suffering will push them to grow. People like us don't need any more suffering. We should first try to feel better first before we can grow.
>Struggle can force growth when there’s support, safety, and room to process what happened.
Yeah isn't good support network the number one variable inversely related to mental illness or something? No meds or therapy exists for having a shit life lmao.
No.305147
Same normalfags think bullying builds character too and doesn't just break people and turn them into hollow shells.
No.305186
>>305145Ah, *that* kind of character - Goethe's Werter character!
nah, i'd go f