"...you can stand me up at The Gates of Hell, but I won't back down."

Adversity, a change of fortune or luck, can indeed either destroy or reinforce a person's spirt and soul.
Some people, such as the fictional character Bruce Wayne or the Pink Floyd frontman/bass player Roger Waters, turn their pain and suffering into a gateway to a more positive and enlightning experience. Bruce Wayne watched his parents die in front of him, but he was able to overcome his grief and become Batman and made it his mission to rid Gotham City of crime and turn it into a safer and better place. Roger Waters' father was killed in World War 2; leaving him with an overbearing, overprotective mother, and ridding him of any relationship with his father. He later wrote some of the best classic rock material ever with his albums; The Dark Side of The Moon, and The Wall (which was about his pain and experiences after his father died, also one of the top 10 grossing albums of all time).
Some people, such as Ivan the Terrible and Curt Kobain, were overwhelemed with their pain, and went insane with mournful thoughts. Ivan the Terrible (AKA Ivan the Awesome) was abused, neglected, and decieved as a child. After he became Czar of Russia, Ivan brutally murdered all who opposed him, and all those he just didn't like. Ivan lost all connections to the real world, and went on to become a mad, bloodsoaked man. Curt Kobain (lead guitarist and singer of the grunge band Nirvana) soar to popularity in the early 90s with the hit single "Smells Like Teen Spirt". Kobain disliked and shunned his newfound popularity. He also reported suffering physical back pain (which modern scientist suggest was a really bad case of scoliosis). He also dated Cortney Love (which is cause enough to make anyone's soul shrivel and die). He later committed suicide.
I believe that adveristy is actually better for people than they can at first see. Both of my "bad aversity" figures had other factors that led to their demises. I know I have not ever been through watching my parents die, or not knowing my father, but I do believe I'd be able to make the best out of every tragedy.