Just wondering!

I just finished reading this book called Black Mamba Boy and it talks about the hardships of a young boy living in Africa in late 1940s during the time when British and Italians had their colonies there. It talks about the insults, hardships and wars the boy sees and lives through. There is a point where he becomes part of Italian army as a help. He was insulted, beaten, misbehaved with. He worked for them because he needed shelter and money. Later in his life when he works on British Navy and he was abused verbally where he doesn't feel bad at all. Because he has had such bad experiences in his life, just a verbal abuse seemed normal to him. The British seemed to happy with him, as he never retaliated.

I wonder if that is how real life is. We judge the goods and bads based on experiences we have had in our lives. We are conditioned in such a way that the better off we are, the more expectations we have from others and life. We sometimes become frustrated with others' behaviors or the way life is treating us, we want more and better things. Is it that its bad to have better things/life to start with? Have we been better if we learnt everything along the way?

Alot of people may not agree with me. That even after being better off, we can learn to be adjusting towards life and behaviors of others. Also, we all deserve to treated well and right and it shouldn't change from person to person based on the assets he has to start with. and I agree but I feel how would it feel to gain things/love/people/money in life when you go through hardships. How much value do you assign to these things? Will it be different for me and someone else?