What a good point you have, as a child I was bullied many times, but because of my character I understood that I needed to defend myself. It took me many years to get rid of those bullying attempts, but it helped me grow, as you say, in the face of challenges...
Obviously, there’s a place for protecting our kids by sheltering them from some things, but I think it’s generally best to protect them by helping them learn how to handle problems.