The Resilience to Continue: Coping with Disaster
The tragic event that occurred on October 7th left us all with a deep sense of heartbreak and fear. Many of us feel that this terror could have happened to us or our children, and the pain is overwhelming. However, amidst this, we acknowledge the reality of the situation and learn to adapt to it. Our strength as a people and as individuals lies in the remarkable ability to continue, to cope, and to build lives despite everything that has occurred.
In times of crisis, when everything seems painful and impossible, the true power of humanity emerges—the ability to adapt, move forward, and find ways to maintain as normal a life as possible. This is not indifference; it is resilience, mental fortitude, and a deep understanding of reality. We recognize that we cannot change the entire situation, but we can choose how to cope with it.
Human Resilience and Adaptation
Throughout the world, people face extreme conditions—poverty, harsh climates, or resource scarcity—and find ways to continue living and enjoying life despite the difficulties. Human resilience is reflected in the ability to adapt and understand the limitations and possibilities within a challenging reality. We strive to improve what we can and learn to live with what cannot be changed. Examples of this can be found in places where people live under harsh conditions, such as impoverished regions or areas with extreme weather. They find joy in simple things, in closeness to nature, or in relationships with those around them. This is true resilience—the ability to continue living and finding meaning even in the most challenging situations.
In Israel, we are no different. We are also learning to live with the harsh reality brought about by the ongoing war. We continue to maintain our routines, our daily lives, and find ways to cope with the situation. This is not indifference, but rather the ability to adapt, which allows us to maintain our mental resilience and continue living despite everything.
Understanding and Adaptation in the Israeli Context
In Israel, the current reality requires daily adaptation. After ten months of war, the population has learned to understand that this is the current situation and that we must continue living within it. This is not about indifference, but rather a deep understanding of reality and dealing with it in practical ways. Our routines are what enable us to continue living, to keep working, to raise our children, and to maintain stability. People seek ways to improve their lives within the existing conditions. They find practical solutions to maintain their security, develop action plans, and understand the limits of their influence on reality. This understanding does not lead to surrender; on the contrary, it encourages us to keep pushing forward, to improve, and to do the best we can.
The Ability to Improve and Influence
The ability to strive for improvement and influence our lives is part of human resilience. People continue to look for ways to improve their lives within the existing conditions. They find practical solutions to maintain their security, develop action plans, and understand the limits of their influence on reality. Recognizing these limitations does not lead to resignation but to a continuous drive forward, to improvement and positive action. In this way, people in Israel cope with the difficult reality and continue to find ways to maintain routine, improve the quality of life, and ensure a better future.
Conclusion
Human resilience and the ability to adapt to different situations are what sustain us and enable us to continue. We persist in adhering to routines, helping others, and focusing on action to maintain ourselves and those around us. This resilience, this skill to adapt and find the good, is what allows us to move forward even after difficult times. Ultimately, the strength to continue lies in our ability to understand reality, adapt to it, and find the way to remain strong and work towards improving the situation.
Bibliography
Freud, S. (1923). The Ego and the Id. The Standard Edition of the Complete Psychological Works of Sigmund Freud.
Bonanno, G. A. (2004). Loss, Trauma, and Human Resilience: Have We Underestimated the Human Capacity to Thrive after Extremely Aversive Events? American Psychologist, 59(1), 20-28.
Seligman, M.E.P. (1991). Learned Optimism. New York: Knopf.
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