This is the response from the amygdala - the reptilian, fight-or-flight part of our brains. The "I am better for it but it was hard" statement, however, comes from the pre-frontal lobe - the mammalian, problem-solving part of our brain. We need to evolve, so that our pre-frontal lobe stays in charge of our amygdala. Otherwise, we end up like he-who-shall-not-be-named.