I’ve got what it needs to pull through!
Much research in recent years has led to the concept of “Resilience”. It is the ability to overcome the trials of life by relying on one’s own resources.
It has been observed that, when faced with the same difficulties, some people pull through better than others. They are usually called resilient personalities or coping personalities. These individuals are found to have certain general characteristics:
1. Social abilities :
- Good ability to communicate, sense of humour, sociable behaviour, empathy, ability to form relationships
- Ability to put things into perspective
2. Sense of autonomy:
- Ability to act independently, a strong notion of identity
- Ability to control the environment based on the knowledge of one’s needs
3. Ability to solve problems:
- Ability to form abstract ideas and to reflect. Thought which is both concrete and flexible
- Ability to find alternative solutions
- Flexibility
4. Having objectives in life and being determined to achieve them
- Knowing one’s expectations of other people and being able to manage them
- Ability to set goals for oneself
- Ability to think ahead
- Perseverance
- A hopeful disposition
- A feeling of inner cohesion, a feeling that one’s life plans are coherent. One knows where one’s going.
Of course none of us has all these wonderful qualities. But the general picture gives some ideas on aspects of personality which one may want to cultivate before being caught in the trap of the difficulties of life.
© CHP 2009
