Do you have a citation of a society that is stronger because it made its citizens suffer a decreased quality of life?
Spengler in his works has a cyclical view of civilizations, which you might also enjoy.
Many “cyclical” ideologies also have similar ideas going back millennia. Hinduism for example sees the world as occurring in cycles. According to some, we are in a materialistic age, which is a consequence of losing spiritual values and a focus on comfort and pleasure.