Interesting thoughts, Meshal
One thing I can say for sure, is that, because of POIS, I have learned and applied a huge amount of information about how to be healthy and stay healthy, a way more than the average person. I know about stress management, metabolism, diet, healthy food, unhealthy industrial additive, natural supplements and vitamins, exercise, yoga, meditation, psychotherapy, and so on. Compared to average people, I am an "expert" in all of these fields, both at the cognitive level ( what I know) and at the practical level ( what I put in practice for years).
After over 40 years of POIS ( I am 53 now), I am quite healthy out of POIS, and do not have one single prescribed drug to take, so far. For my business health assurance, I have the best rating possible, because my cholesterol, blood pressure, and so on, are excellent ( and POIS do not show on any of these, as you all know, except, for me, low blood pressure if in first days of POIS, and this is not seen as bad, health-wise - it is high blood pressure that would raise concern).
As for my problem solving abilities, I cannot comment, because I have no cognitive symptoms in POIS - but a whole lot of emotional symptoms, with fatigue and marked hypotension.
However, I can confirm that, when out of POIS, I have a greater-than-average capacity to stay calm, to resolve personal conflict, to connect with strangers, to be nice and understanding to others. Of course, when in full blown POIS, forget about compassion and kindness....hehehe.
So, I would say that we have to perform in the game of Human Life with a handicap, like in golf. Do we have this handicap because we were real pros at this Game, and needed to be leveled with other players ? Hehehe...who knows....