By comparing it to "1+1=3", you seem to be hinting that "pain + reflection = progress" is false. Is that actually your belief?

Or do you believe it to be true but merely creepy?

(Personally I consider it to be completely true. Most of my personal progress has come directly from pain, reflection, and then deliberate effort. Where does your personal progress come from?)

Some pain is just pain, it's meaningless and even reflecting on it does you no good.

So it's obviously not "true" but at best "sometimes true."

For some reason this discussion reminds me of Yossarian's rant about pain and god in Catch 22.

If it is completely true, then surely "pain = progress - reflection" must also be completely true.

I'm OK with choosing to take on pain to grow. I do, however, find it creepy when a company's publicly stated values glorify pain.