First of all, I want to say that I like these pictures so much, the second one is my favourite, I like both colours and composition.
Second, I too think that the sum of our encounters is part of who we are.
You talk here about persons or bad happenings that made us better. I 've recently learned about a clinical psychologyst, dr. Jordan B. Peterson, who says that we overcome the suffering of life by beeing better persons. Do you know him, do you agree?