Learning does not make one learned: there are those who have knowledge and those who have understanding. The first requires memory and the second philosophy.

Alexandre Dumas, The Count of Monte Cristo

It'd be better not to have the tragedies in the first place but it is pretty neat how resilient we can be even as everything goes down the toilet in our own little lives and on the big global stage. And that we know, just as well as our ancestors did: Life is cruel and intolerably awful at times but if one dares to stare directly into the unavoidable abyss of pain, loss and tragedy, the reward on the other end is often new eyes.