Resilience is a biological capacity to adapt and recover, but toxic resilience is a mind-over-matter mentality that demands constant productivity at all costs. The speaker contrasts true resilience, which respects human limits, with cultural icons like the Energizer Bunny and "keep calm and carry on" that glorify relentless operation.
Chapters
How do you define resilience? The true scientific definition of resilience is your innate biological ability to adapt, recover, and grow in the face of life's challenges. So innately, we are all resilient. But what has happened over the years, particularly over the last, I would say, 4 to 5 years, is that there is a new definition of resilience, and that is toxic resilience. Toxic resilience is a mind over matter mindset. It's productivity at all costs. It's all systems go all the time. Whereas true resilience, it's innate within all of us. True resilience honors your human limitations. I hear the word and I have a visceral response. It is truly cringeworthy because you have heard it over and over, particularly the last few years when people have said to you, maybe it's a demanding boss, maybe it's someone in your family, oh, you can handle that. You're resilient. Oh, you can take on another deadline. You're resilient. You hear this messaging over and over. Every culture has It's embodiment of toxic resilience. Here in the US, we have the Energizer Bunny, like, just keep going no matter what, just keep going. In the UK, keep calm and carry on. Every culture.
