This reflection may help explain my discomfort. Coming back to the clinic, when the trainee mentioned resilience with respect to the “challenging socioeconomic circumstances,” I heard a faint, unintentional justification for healthcare disparities. After all, there may be challenging situations, but she’s coping well, presumably due to her resilience. Resilience lulls us into a belief that if only other people had a sunshiny, optimistic attitude, they would be in better situations. The truth is far murkier.
A New Resilience
As you can guess, I think the bounce-back type of resilience is an antiquated concept. It’s Darwinian in nature, and although well meaning, it reinforces certain assumptions and paradigms that we should reassess.6 So it may surprise you that I still believe a role exists for the word resilience. This new resilience is more akin to the concept of self-forgiveness, is less binary than a spectrum and aligns better with the values of community.
In the 21st century, resilience should not be seen as a solitary pursuit, but as a collective endeavor. It’s about fostering communities of support, empathy and solidarity. It’s about recognizing that our sense of individuality is interconnected with the resilience of the community around us. Think of the original definition of resilience—a material that can withstand compressive strength. When that material is placed together to reinforce its own strengths, it is better able to withstand the stress. It becomes resilient, even though by itself it may not have been. When we say resilience, we should incorporate that element of mutuality.
Further, as we reimagine resilience, we must acknowledge the importance of selfcare and self-compassion. Resilience should not mean pushing ourselves to the brink of exhaustion or denying our own needs. I have encountered resilience frequently in burnout literature. I can’t help but see the word as a convenient out for societal pressures that contribute to burnout. We should invert that understanding: Organizations are resilient because of the goodness of their people, rather than people are resilient because of the goodness of organizations.
For those reasons, I no longer comment on the resilience of other people. When I hear it from trainees, I gently ask them to reconsider their words and to challenge their assumptions. It’s a small but important step that signals a break from the past and a commitment toward equity and inclusion.
The Future of Resilience
In this rapidly changing world, the concept of resilience must evolve and adapt. This new resilience is less about bouncing back to some imaginary past level of strength, but instead about adapting to new realities. It’s about embracing uncertainty and cultivating a growth mindset. Resilience is not a snap assessment in a point in time, but an ongoing journey of self-discovery, community and growth.
