Can adversity ever be an advantage? Can early trauma shape future success? Times’ columnists, Rachel Sylvester and Alice Thomson interview notable people about the challenges they faced in their lives. What impact did these have on their identities and on their careers? Ruth Davidson, the former Scottish Conservative leader, discusses her two near-death experiences and the battles with depression and self-harm that gave her the resilience for politics.   See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.