Nietzsche once said that philosophy was all about trying to figure out how to deal with the unsavory parts of existence. I think he’s half right.
The sociology of philosophy: and also the sociology of Stoicism: assuming that you do not live in a bubble, or on a desert island, and assuming that you’re dealing with other human beings, your emotions, your outlook, etc.… Stoicism is kind of like a mental operating system in which there is an asymmetric upside compared to the downside. The only downside is… If everything is already great and jolly… Too much Stoicism could actually decrease your capacity for Joy. But assuming that you’re living in tumultuous times, or your life is a battle and war… Then, having a more muscular philosophy, which is socialism, seems to play out well.
it ain’t over until the fat lady sings
Assuming that you are Achilles or Odysseus, it’s kind of impossible to navigate your entire life, assuming you’re going to live to be aged 8090 or 120… Without some sort of minor setbacks, or deep tragedies. I think the ultimate stoic insight is, having the wisdom and the insight to understand that all of the terrible things that happened to you, or have happened to you, if you see it with enough of a time horizon, realizing and recognizing that, it was actually eminently desirable.
I’ll give you an example, all the really really terrible injuries that I’ve had from weightlifting since I was in college, torn rotator cuff, knees and ankles, back, lower back, spine, etc.… The pain and the injury was actually the most useful Teacher and signal, helping me navigate what kind of exercises to do, what not to do, or how to modify the existing exercises that I was already doing. Which meant, no more dead, lifting off the floor, but rather off of the rack, no more bench or overhead presses, and essentially focusing on my hip muscles and abductors, and pursuing more of the one repetition maximum type of lift, rather than silly sets and repetitions.
all you gotta do is survive the pain
I think the good thing about the human body and the mind is that pain, traumatic pain, is often short-lived, and even the worst sports related injuries, assuming that you’re doing the proper rehabilitation work, typically doesn’t last for more than a year. Like even the worst injuries for your body, hot yoga, mobility work, changing up your form, etc.… Typically within a year you will no longer feel pain, and your strength will return to what it used to be, and often times, the injury itself, actually teaches you better form, and warm-ups, which means… After the injury, you actually become stronger. 
For example, all of my joints, hips, tendons, muscles, etc.… Is stronger now at the age of 38, then it was in my early 20s or mid 20s. This is because, all of the injuries forced me to switch up my approach.
So perhaps, then, all of the injuries that we sustain is simply an invitation to change up our form, our technique, our technique or approach. Or modify it. 
And I think the big macro thought is, once again on a long enough time horizon, if you think like five years 10 years, 20 years plus… The injuries that you sustain today, which seem unrecoverable, or just simply minor setbacks. In the grand scheme of things.
becoming stronger is the path
To become stronger is the goal. I almost wonder, if there’s a certain ceiling that you hit in terms of restraint, that actually, some sort of deep injury or tragedy is like the magic key to unlock the next upper level? An interesting thought.
ERIC