We Often Talk About Resilience—But How Does It Feel?
We often talk about resilience as if it’s a state we achieve—an endpoint, a polished badge of strength. But we don’t talk enough about how resilience feels.
Resilience is often lonely. It is painful. It does not always align with the perfect, triumphant image we like to project. It is forged in discomfort, in uncertainty, and in the moments when moving forward is the only option left.
I started to think deeply about resilience when my own journey in research began. At first, I was simply curious. I didn’t know I would end up here, constantly exploring the same fundamental questions:
- What makes us resilient?
- How do we become resilient?
- And once we do, how do we sustain it?
Five years ago, when COVID-19 disrupted the world, resilience was tested on a global scale. The pandemic forced societies to shift rapidly, making the digital space more critical than ever. Remote work, digital connections, and online security became essential components of our survival.
But as we adapted, I realized something: resilience is not just about adapting to challenges—it is about processing them, learning from them, and integrating those lessons into our future selves.
In this digital era, resilience is no longer just a personal trait; it’s a collective necessity. It is about how organizations, societies, and individuals endure and recover. The way we build resilience today will define the strength of our digital world tomorrow.
And perhaps the most important realization is this: resilience does not mean we are untouched by hardship. It means we have learned how to carry our scars and keep moving forward.
Cyber Resilience: The Next Frontier
Just as individuals and societies must cultivate resilience to survive and evolve, organizations must do the same in the digital landscape. Cyber resilience is not just about preventing attacks—it is about how we respond, recover, and reinforce our defenses after a breach. The psychological and operational strength of an organization determines how well it can withstand and bounce back from cyber threats.
Much like personal resilience, cyber resilience requires a shift in mindset—acknowledging vulnerabilities, learning from past failures, and continuously adapting security strategies. It involves fostering a culture where security is seen not as a one-time fix but as an ongoing process, much like how individuals build emotional and mental resilience over time.
The future of resilience is digital. As cyber threats grow in complexity, the ability to recover from them—without losing trust, efficiency, or stability—will define success in the modern world. True cyber resilience, much like personal resilience, lies in our ability to learn, adapt, and emerge stronger from each challenge.
Key Takeaways: Building Resilience in Life and Cybersecurity
✔ Resilience is not about perfection—it is about learning how to carry your scars and move forward.
✔ Digital resilience is as crucial as personal resilience—our online security depends on how well we recover.
✔ Organisations must stop seeing cybersecurity as just protection—it is about adaptability, mindset, and long-term recovery strategies.
Further Reading and Resources
On Personal Resilience
📖 The Resilience Factor – Karen Reivich and Andrew Shatté 📖 Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance – Angela Duckworth 📖 Harvard Business Review: https://hbr.org/2021/01/the-secret-to-building-resilience
On Cyber Resilience and Security
📘 NIST Framework for Improving Critical Infrastructure Cybersecurity 📘 Cyber Resilience Handbook – World Economic Forum PDF 📘 https://sloanreview.mit.edu/article/a-comprehensive-approach-to-cyber-resilience/?utm – MIT Sloan Review
On Organizational and Digital Adaptability
📖 Antifragile: Things That Gain from Disorder – Nassim Nicholas Taleb 📖 Black Swan Events and Cybersecurity – Forbes Article
Let’s Discuss
🔹 What does resilience mean to you—personally and digitally? 🔹 Have you experienced moments where resilience shaped your career or life? 🔹 How do you think organizations can better prepare for cyber threats?