They were ready to accept a difficult transition and were inured to a certain level of violence.

ECONOMIST: By invitation: Iraq

He explained that "whereas you might get frustrated when the waitress at the counter gives you the wrong coffee, " after a recent trek he was so inured to adversity that he spent a couple of hours outdoors without even noticing it was pouring.

WSJ: This Is One That's for the Spartans

People are stuck on a treadmill: as they achieve a better standard of living, they become inured to its pleasures.

ECONOMIST: Affluence