Calm down, Loviatar.

In the context of the premise, absolutely not, because there is plenty of suffering to go around already.

How does suffering give life meaning? Sure, a balance/contrast between pleasure and suffering can help create meaningful experiences, but that’s a different case

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If and only if suffering is good. I’d argue it’s not.

Occasionally experiencing suffering will lead to character growth, but mostly in dealing with future suffering of yourself or someone else. Not ever suffering and not needing the growth would be better.

But there is suffering in the world and occasional small doses is dealt out to everyone without anyone of us actively trying.

The idea would be that the existence of suffering gives life meaning. By knowing that the risk of suffering is always there, we strive to avoid it and value our pleasures more because we can compare them to an unpleasant alternative.

How true “an existence without suffering would be meaningless” is open to debate, but there’s at least some day to day support. If you’ve ever been really hungry and demolished some fairly average meal while finding it delicious, or had the best glass of ice water after walking in the heat, you get that. And if we think of rich, entitled people, who appear to have no conception of how fortunate they are, instead getting upset about minor inconveniences, it gives you some indication of what life with less suffering might be like.

The original (and still valid) meaning of “to suffer” is “to tolerate”.

Is it possible that whoever told you that “suffering is good” had that definition in mind?

Your premise is wrong but you should watch Bojack Horseman and pay attention to Diane’s arc, specifically the episode Good Damage

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Does anyone actually believe that suffering gives life meaning? I’m sceptical.

It’s not good and doesn’t give life meaning.

It can be used as a way to see what you can let go of. Painful, but like, therapy-painful. Still hard to call it “good”, but responding that way makes it least bad and can make it go away. Face it and process it.

Piling it on, yourself or somebody else, is still dumb and always will be.

I mean yeah, I would answer your statement as “yes”. But I would prefer to challenge a fundamental assumption within your question, “suffering is good”. Suffering is neither bad nor good, it simply is. Without the experience of suffering, experiences of non-suffering would lose some or all of their meaning. Without winter we cannot appreciate summer, and vice versa.

Guys, ‘suffering is good’ is literally a Christian thing. Mother Theresa used it as an excuse not to treat people because ‘suffering brings you closer to God’.

It’s bullshit, of course. It was made up as an excuse for treating people badly and (surprise!) making more money that way.

But that’s where OP gets the idea from. Religious indoctrination.

Yes, that’s what a lot of rich people think. They’re helping people build character by acting like monsters.

I disagree with the premise, but I’d wager that people who say “suffering is good” are probably talking about things like lifting heavy at the gym or working long hours - not spitting blood in a ditch.