To be human is to be resilient
To be human is to be resilient
To be human is to be resilient
Aug 14, 2025
Aug 14, 2025
By Wainwright Yu
By Wainwright Yu
8 min to read
8 min to read


90 percent of Americans have experienced a traumatic event of some kind in their lifetimes. However, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) occurs in only 8 percent of the population. This tells us that a significant number of people who experience trauma do not develop PTSD. In fact, according to one study, 53% of people who suffered from a traumatic event experienced moderate-to-high levels of post-traumatic growth.
Wow. If there’s a reason to hold hope in our hearts, this is it. While almost everyone experiences significant suffering at least once in their lives, for the majority, to paraphrase Nietzsche, what doesn’t kill them not only spares them but makes them stronger.
So, what sets apart those who survive and thrive from those who end up scraping by?
Are well-resourced economically. While not every adversity is financial in nature, financial resources help weather many adversities. Having financial cushions provides a feeling of safety. Money can also help us get the things we need when we need them. This factor has been measured in several ways – individual income, household income, socio-economic status, or facing financial stress/poverty (inverted measure) – with positive results.
Are well-resourced academically. Years of education has also been found to be positively correlated with greater resilience as measured by lower anxiety, depression, PTSD symptoms, and general distress, as well as better mental health. Education provides us with cognitive resources we can call upon in times of need, like problem solving skills and enhanced critical thinking. It can also provide opportunities to build support networks, socio-emotional skills, and a resilient mindset – additional factors that promote resilience covered below.
Have a strong support network. If we live with family/others, have a partner, or believe we have access to a support network when we need it, we are more likely to be resilient. That said, the quality of the relationship does matter. Research results on the impact of living with family/others and having a partner, for example, show mixed results where sometimes these factors reduce rather than improve resilience. Good relationships help with resilience; bad ones hurt it.
Possess emotional awareness and regulation. Before we can accept and move forward from hardship, we must first become aware of the challenge we are facing and how it impacts us emotionally. By bringing awareness to our emotions, recognizing them and naming them, we are better able to cope with these feelings. With awareness comes peace. With peace comes control.
Believe in our ability to control our own destiny. When we believe that our actions matter, that they can make a meaningful impact on the world and in our own lives, then we are more likely to act. This is called an internal (as opposed to external) locus of control. Forward motion reduces depression, tames anxiety, and rewards us with the positive feelings that come from progress.
Are hopeful about the future. Related to having an internal locus of control (i.e. believing that we control our own destiny) comes hope, which is the belief that, in spite of current hardship, the future will be brighter than the past. Being hopeful not only protects us against negative mental health outcomes like stress, anxiety, and depression, it also makes us experience greater well-being, both in our thoughts and in our actions. (Fun fact: Did you know hopeful people make better eating choices?)
Look at adversity as growth opportunities. Self-fulfilling prophecies are all around us. When we believe something to be true, it is more likely to become true as we work harder towards achieving that outcome. Others who might see our efforts will be drawn in to support us. When we see adversity as an opportunity, we are more likely to bounce forward instead of backward in challenging times.
See meaning in life. One of the most famous exemplars of this idea that meaning helps us survive and thrive amidst hardship is Viktor Frankl, an Austrian neurologist and psychiatrist who survived imprisonment in a Nazi concentration camp during World War II. In his book, Man’s Search for Meaning, he writes, “Those who have a ‘why’ to live can bear with almost any ‘how’.”
Are psychologically flexible. Those who are psychologically flexible can receive their present situation with greater openness and acceptance. They are less likely to see things in black and white terms – that is, as good or bad. They simply accept the situation for what it is, creating distance between themselves and their present experience, because what is happening to you does not need to define you.
While the conclusions above are supported by research, of the studies that found positive effects, 82 percent of them observed small or very small effect sizes. This means that, while we know many of these things help, none of them help enough to fully explain why some people not only bounce back but bounce forward from adversity and some do not.
Take heart, however. While there is no one guaranteed way to resilience, most of us make it there somehow -- in our own winding and idiosyncratic ways. Furthermore, if one or more of these resilience factors feel less accessible to you (economic resources, for example), remember that each of them contributes only modestly to resilience. If one door is closed, there are many others to choose from.
Photo Credit: Miguel Bruna
A koan for individual resilience In Zen Buddhism, a koan (“koh-ahn”) is often used to punctuate an idea in a simple and thought-provoking way. It is usually framed as a paradoxical question or statement. Here’s one for you to ponder as you think about your path to resilience: To find your way to resilience, you must first know that there is no path. By accepting no path, all paths open. |
References
Frankl, V. E. (1992). Man's search for meaning: An introduction to logotherapy (4th ed.) (I. Lasch, Trans.). Beacon Press.
Kessler, R. C., Sonnega, A., Bromet, E., Hughes, M., & Nelson, C. B. (2013). Posttraumatic stress disorder in the National Comorbidity Survey. In Fear and anxiety (pp. 22-34). Routledge.
Kilpatrick, D. G., Resnick, H. S., Milanak, M. E., Miller, M. W., Keyes, K. M., & Friedman, M. J. (2013). National estimates of exposure to traumatic events and PTSD prevalence using DSM‐IV and DSM‐5 criteria. Journal of traumatic stress, 26(5), 537-547.
Schäfer, S. K., Supke, M., Kausmann, C., Schaubruch, L. M., Lieb, K., & Cohrdes, C. (2024). A systematic review of individual, social, and societal resilience factors in response to societal challenges and crises. Communications Psychology, 2(1), Article 92.
Senger, A. R. (2023). Hope's relationship with resilience and mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic. Current Opinion in Psychology, 50, Article 101559.
Wu, X., Kaminga, A. C., Dai, W., Deng, J., Wang, Z., Pan, X., & Liu, A. (2019). The prevalence of moderate-to-high posttraumatic growth: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Journal of affective disorders, 243, 408-415.
90 percent of Americans have experienced a traumatic event of some kind in their lifetimes. However, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) occurs in only 8 percent of the population. This tells us that a significant number of people who experience trauma do not develop PTSD. In fact, according to one study, 53% of people who suffered from a traumatic event experienced moderate-to-high levels of post-traumatic growth.
Wow. If there’s a reason to hold hope in our hearts, this is it. While almost everyone experiences significant suffering at least once in their lives, for the majority, to paraphrase Nietzsche, what doesn’t kill them not only spares them but makes them stronger.
So, what sets apart those who survive and thrive from those who end up scraping by?
Are well-resourced economically. While not every adversity is financial in nature, financial resources help weather many adversities. Having financial cushions provides a feeling of safety. Money can also help us get the things we need when we need them. This factor has been measured in several ways – individual income, household income, socio-economic status, or facing financial stress/poverty (inverted measure) – with positive results.
Are well-resourced academically. Years of education has also been found to be positively correlated with greater resilience as measured by lower anxiety, depression, PTSD symptoms, and general distress, as well as better mental health. Education provides us with cognitive resources we can call upon in times of need, like problem solving skills and enhanced critical thinking. It can also provide opportunities to build support networks, socio-emotional skills, and a resilient mindset – additional factors that promote resilience covered below.
Have a strong support network. If we live with family/others, have a partner, or believe we have access to a support network when we need it, we are more likely to be resilient. That said, the quality of the relationship does matter. Research results on the impact of living with family/others and having a partner, for example, show mixed results where sometimes these factors reduce rather than improve resilience. Good relationships help with resilience; bad ones hurt it.
Possess emotional awareness and regulation. Before we can accept and move forward from hardship, we must first become aware of the challenge we are facing and how it impacts us emotionally. By bringing awareness to our emotions, recognizing them and naming them, we are better able to cope with these feelings. With awareness comes peace. With peace comes control.
Believe in our ability to control our own destiny. When we believe that our actions matter, that they can make a meaningful impact on the world and in our own lives, then we are more likely to act. This is called an internal (as opposed to external) locus of control. Forward motion reduces depression, tames anxiety, and rewards us with the positive feelings that come from progress.
Are hopeful about the future. Related to having an internal locus of control (i.e. believing that we control our own destiny) comes hope, which is the belief that, in spite of current hardship, the future will be brighter than the past. Being hopeful not only protects us against negative mental health outcomes like stress, anxiety, and depression, it also makes us experience greater well-being, both in our thoughts and in our actions. (Fun fact: Did you know hopeful people make better eating choices?)
Look at adversity as growth opportunities. Self-fulfilling prophecies are all around us. When we believe something to be true, it is more likely to become true as we work harder towards achieving that outcome. Others who might see our efforts will be drawn in to support us. When we see adversity as an opportunity, we are more likely to bounce forward instead of backward in challenging times.
See meaning in life. One of the most famous exemplars of this idea that meaning helps us survive and thrive amidst hardship is Viktor Frankl, an Austrian neurologist and psychiatrist who survived imprisonment in a Nazi concentration camp during World War II. In his book, Man’s Search for Meaning, he writes, “Those who have a ‘why’ to live can bear with almost any ‘how’.”
Are psychologically flexible. Those who are psychologically flexible can receive their present situation with greater openness and acceptance. They are less likely to see things in black and white terms – that is, as good or bad. They simply accept the situation for what it is, creating distance between themselves and their present experience, because what is happening to you does not need to define you.
While the conclusions above are supported by research, of the studies that found positive effects, 82 percent of them observed small or very small effect sizes. This means that, while we know many of these things help, none of them help enough to fully explain why some people not only bounce back but bounce forward from adversity and some do not.
Take heart, however. While there is no one guaranteed way to resilience, most of us make it there somehow -- in our own winding and idiosyncratic ways. Furthermore, if one or more of these resilience factors feel less accessible to you (economic resources, for example), remember that each of them contributes only modestly to resilience. If one door is closed, there are many others to choose from.
Photo Credit: Miguel Bruna
A koan for individual resilience In Zen Buddhism, a koan (“koh-ahn”) is often used to punctuate an idea in a simple and thought-provoking way. It is usually framed as a paradoxical question or statement. Here’s one for you to ponder as you think about your path to resilience: To find your way to resilience, you must first know that there is no path. By accepting no path, all paths open. |
References
Frankl, V. E. (1992). Man's search for meaning: An introduction to logotherapy (4th ed.) (I. Lasch, Trans.). Beacon Press.
Kessler, R. C., Sonnega, A., Bromet, E., Hughes, M., & Nelson, C. B. (2013). Posttraumatic stress disorder in the National Comorbidity Survey. In Fear and anxiety (pp. 22-34). Routledge.
Kilpatrick, D. G., Resnick, H. S., Milanak, M. E., Miller, M. W., Keyes, K. M., & Friedman, M. J. (2013). National estimates of exposure to traumatic events and PTSD prevalence using DSM‐IV and DSM‐5 criteria. Journal of traumatic stress, 26(5), 537-547.
Schäfer, S. K., Supke, M., Kausmann, C., Schaubruch, L. M., Lieb, K., & Cohrdes, C. (2024). A systematic review of individual, social, and societal resilience factors in response to societal challenges and crises. Communications Psychology, 2(1), Article 92.
Senger, A. R. (2023). Hope's relationship with resilience and mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic. Current Opinion in Psychology, 50, Article 101559.
Wu, X., Kaminga, A. C., Dai, W., Deng, J., Wang, Z., Pan, X., & Liu, A. (2019). The prevalence of moderate-to-high posttraumatic growth: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Journal of affective disorders, 243, 408-415.
Copyright
wainwrightyu.com
l 2025
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Copyright
wainwrightyu.com
l 2025
l Website & Branding by Design Mingle
Copyright
wainwrightyu.com
l 2025
l Website & Branding by Design Mingle