Marcel Proust claimed that if you want insights into life, an evening with a woman who will make you suffer beats an evening with Plato:
"If you wanna recommend somebody to have insights into life, and you could give them a magical choice between meeting Plato or Descartes for an evening, or going out with a woman who will make him suffer; we know who that person should spend the evening with. The woman who will make him suffer."
"He had this particular view that suffering is the great catalyst of insight. And therefore, if you want to get some material, suffer."
-Alain de Botton