Transition, even the completely voluntary, can be a source of intense suffering because it involves adapting to new situations and changing your self-conception.

In hindsight, even the unwanted transitions are usually seen to have been a success.

Transition is also called liminality by psychologists - a state where you are neither in the state you left nor entirely in your new state. This in-between state creates an identity crisis, even in good transitions.

When we don't resist challenging transitions, we learn how to cope with subsequent life changes. We gain a sense of meaning that makes the rest of life seem more stable.