Rob Kall: Turning Chaos Into Opportunity; Facing Adversity, Problems and Flaws An excerpt from my book, the Happiness Response. adversity is programmed into life--it's part of growing up, of parenting, of aging and dying. For example, when young children die, their parents suffer great pain, desolation and anguish. But the human mind and spirit have the strength to recover from tremendous devastation. We are biologically and spiritually endowed with resources unknown to us until we need them.