Polish psychologist Kazimierz Dąbrowski argues that fear, anxiety, and sadness are not always undesirable or damaging states of mind, but rather representative of the necessary pain for psychological growth. To avoid pain is basically to deny our own potential. You don’t build muscle or physical stamina without experiencing pain. But it’s the type of pain that signifies forward progress. Similarly, we can’t develop psychological resilience without experiencing emotional pain and suffering.
