When I heard the word Resilience for the first time, I thought, that person was probably confused and their intention was to use another word to mention their wishes. After that, I had the opportunity to discover it through Edith Grotberg's description of it.
"Resilience is understood as the ability of the human being to face the adversities of life, overcome them and be positively transformed by them."
Resilience is situated in a trend of positive and dynamic psychology that promotes mental health and seems to be a reality confirmed by the testimony of many people who, even having lived through a traumatic situation, have managed to fit in and continue to develop and even live in a higher level, such as the trauma experienced and assumed, would have developed latent and unsuspected resources in them. It is a force that is generated in them, as a result of the experiences they had, they are people who can really become an example of life, because of the attitude they take towards life, after extremely unexpected events.
The concept of resistant personality appears for the first time in the scientific literature in 1972, in relation to the idea of protection against stressors. Kobasa and Maddi are the authors who developed the concept, through the study of those people who in the face of negative life events seemed to have personality characteristics that protected them.
In Mexico the term takes up the model of the Resilience shield, alluding to the national shield, where the eagle represents internal strength, the serpent represents life risks, the cactus adversity and the double heart, human transcendence.
That is why it has been established that resilient people have a great sense of commitment, a strong sense of control over events and are more open to changes that occur in their lives, at the same time that they tend to interpret stressful experiences and painful as a part of existence.
Pillars of Resilience
From the verification of the non-appearance or capacity in the subjects, depending on the interaction with their environment, the search for the factors that would be protective for human beings began, and some of the stimulants for this attitude are named:
- Consistent self-esteem: which is the basis of the other pillars and the fruit of the consequent effective care of a minor by a significant, good adult capable of giving a sensitive response. Introspection: it is the art of asking yourself and giving an honest answer and this depends on the strength of the self-esteem that the person has. Independence: it is defined as knowing how to set limits between oneself and the environment with problems, it is the ability to maintain emotional and physical distance without falling into isolation. Initiative: it is the pleasure of demanding yourself and putting yourself to the test in progressively more demanding tasks. Creativity: it is the ability to create order, beauty and purpose from chaos and disorder, it is also said that it is the fruit of the capacity for reflection, it develops from play in childhood.
Resilience is woven, it is not necessary to look for it only in the interior of the person, or in his environment, but between the two, because it constantly ties an intimate process with the social environment. This eliminates the notion of the strength or weakness of the individual.
