What comes to mind when you think of resilience? For many of us it is a word that can induce feelings of shame and inadequacy. We may have got the impression that it is something that we as individuals are responsible for and that our individual mindset holds the key. Metaphors and vocabulary associated with resilience sometimes touch on alpha male and even military themes - “soldier on”, “toughness”, “strength”, “rolling with the punches”, “staying power”, “unyielding”, “relentless”.
Studies and self-help books often refer to military personnel and elite athletes as examples of resilience. It can sometimes seem as though it is only those with the most resources (finance, assets, etc.) who are resilient. An individual appears to make themself resilient by being mentally tough, emotionally controlled, physically strong, single-minded, self-centred and focused on gathering whatever they can get their hands on. So, anyone who doesn’t have this approach to life or happens to struggle to i…