Author and New York Times columnist David Brooks noted that profound suffering can often lead to a sense of calling and purpose. Brooks said,

People (who) have suffered almost always have this sense of calling. When people lose a child, they don’t say, “Well, I had two years where I had low pleasure. I should compensate by going to a lot of parties so I can get high pleasure and balance off my hedonic account.” They do not say that. They want to turn the suffering into holiness, so they create a foundation. Or they transform their lives. People don’t heal from suffering. They come out changed.

David Brooks, The Gathering, “The Transcript of David Brooks Talk—The Gathering 2014” (10-2-14)