The Truth behind Resilience - Essay Example

Resilience itself comes up in diverse ways like humor, an ability to laugh at oneself, etc. The author has been fascinated by the issue of resilience in one's daily life - and it shows in her case studies and examples she has cited. Even the references of people she has used for professional takes on the subject demonstrate people who are from various backgrounds, yet by and large, a resilient lot who have gotten where they have through a strong dose of determination.

But is that all there is to resilience Apparently not, if the author is to be believed - she talks of resilience from the psychological point of view, where to start identifying the basic features of this trait, she finds that a sense of humor, sometimes bordering on the black, is not a surprising quality in resilient people. As she delves deeper into the matter, she comes up with the theory that resilient people essentially have three characteristics; without even one of them, they are not completely resilient.

These are as follows: Facing down reality: here, she states that while optimism is a good thing, it should be overdone lest it tampers with one's grasp over reality. This can damage a person's self-worth and confidence. The search for meaning: termed as the second building block, this feature is related to the one above as it strives to find a sense of purpose even in the most terrible of times.Ritualized ingenuity: this feature completes the trilogy by helping the resilient make good use of whatever it that they may have and give them a sense of having the best at all times.

In her article, Coutu is crisp, precise, and very to the point with her perception as well as presentation of the facts surrounding resilience. Also, she has given food for thought and further research in the area. Further, the case studies and examples as well as the references she has cited are relevant and they help tie up all the loose ends.