> It's like saying that having abusive parents make you a strong person. Completely bullshit. The population being investigated is significantly smaller than t

> It's like saying that having abusive parents make you a strong person. Completely bullshit. The population being investigated is significantly smaller than that, though. Specifically, it's people with STEM PhDs, and everything that comes along with that: Likely from a wealthier than average family, performed extremely well in school (at least in their area of interest), etc. And they're in a position to write a grant proposal, which requires a good deal of confidence. So, among those extremely successful and intelligent people who are very confident and likely never experienced much hardship at all, if you experience a setback you may be better off in the long run.