Good point!

Culture, in a sense, has a defect of ego. What I mean by that is the many instances in which we tend to "glorify" suffering as essential rather than optional. I believe it's a Buddhist truism that *"PAIN is inevitable, suffering is optional." And yet, there's often evidence that suffering is some kind of "must."

Having been in the art business (for example) for many years... the myth of "the Tormented Artist" is perpetuated, often with the subtext that the art isn't "real" or "authentic" unless it was created under torment and suffering. If you create art to express your happiness, it's not taken seriously; it's considered "fluff," no matter how good it actually might be.

Personally, I'd agree such an approach is more a reflection of an ego-defect (on a collective level) than it is about reality.