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Depending on the context, too much resilience is not always a good thing, especially when taken to extremes.

Summary

Resilience is the psychological ability to adapt to change, stress, adversity, defeat, and be able to bounce back. However, when taken to extremes, resilience can become harmful. For example, you should not have to put up with abuse, harassment, or psychological harm in a relationship. Being told to just put up with something can at times be terrible advice. This article lists four ways resilience can cause more harm than good:

  • Resilience can result in you trying to achieve the impossible. For example, without skill and talent, you will not earn a living as a footballer. 
  • Too much resilience can burn you out. 
  • Resilience can make you less self-aware. Bold leaders, for example, maybe unaware of their limitations.
  • Resilience might harm trust in your team, for example, being too optimistic in the face of reality.

Can you think of any other situations where resilience might do more harm than good?

Learn more about why resilience is not always a good thing

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