...and then my id told my superego to shove it

There is a Dickinson poem which reads as follows:

Originally Posted by Emily Dickinson

Water, is taught by thirst.
Land -- by the Oceans passed.
Transport -- by throe --
Peace -- by its battles told --
Love, by Memorial Mold --
Birds, by the Snow.

What other things can be learned by lacking?

I learned what life is by witnessing death.
I learned what a conscience was by encountering men who had none.

...Just a thought.