I’ve been thinking about resilience lately. It seems there are many, far too many, occasions to marvel at the resilience of human beings:
The key may be in a simple definition of “resilience” based on the patterns of the natural world. One way to think about resilience comes from physical science—stable and unstable equilibrium. An object or a system is in equilibrium when it is at rest. All the forces that would move it one way are balanced by forces that would move it another way. The coffee cup on my desk, the teams in a tug of war game, the ballerina en pointe—all of these are in equilibrium.
Not all equilibrium states are the same, however. Sometimes, equilibrium is “stable.” Stable equilibrium means that if the balance is disturbed, the system will bounce back to where it was before. A pendulum on a clock, a marble in a round-bottomed bowl, water in a pond—any one of these systems will recover from a disruption and return to its earlier, more stable state.
Sometimes a system will be in equilibrium, but it is “unstable.” It may look still and balanced, but when it is disturbed, it doesn’t go back to its initial state. Instead, it moves to a new equilibrium position. The ballerina, a pencil balanced on its point, a toddler, a learning bicyclist—all of these systems are balanced for a moment, but they are vulnerable because a small change can send them careening off into some new place. They are in a state of unstable equilibrium.
So, what does that have to do with Burkina Faso, the Japanese, Egypt, or your organization?
We can think of resilience for an individual or a group as stable equilibrium—the system is balanced and is able to return to its original state after it is disturbed. The lack of resilience is unstable equilibrium—the system doesn’t return after being disrupted. We can use this distinction to build our capacity for resilience in three ways.
And, like many HSD concepts, resilience has a flip side. It is possible to be too resilient. That happens when the stable place is not serving you, your organization, or your community well. Libya has a “resilient” leader; an obese person has a “resilient” relationship to food; a dogmatist has a “resilient” commitment to a single idea. In all of these cases, the resilience may be holding a dysfunctional pattern in place. The same questions that helped you build healthy resilience can help you avoid the wrong kind. You can ask: What is the nature of my stability around the issue? What factors reinforce my stable position? How can I shift my equilibrium toward less stability?
So, it looks like HSD can help us think about resilience, but even more than that, it can help shape choices and inform actions to strengthen useful resilience and weaken resilience that blocks life and growth. With the idea of stable and unstable equilibria in mind, we can learn many lessons from people who deal with overwhelming challenges every day.
To see how human systems dynamics can support you as you see, understand, and influence patterns in your life and work, visit us at www.hsdinstitute.org.
- A trip to Burkina Faso in Western Africa, where heat and poverty don’t keep the locals from a pleasant demeanor and creative expression.
- Stories from Japan about individuals and families who wait with patience and move forward with courage.
- Conversations with committed and experienced public servants who are insulted and excluded from policy making, even when (perhaps because) they know the dire consequences of public greed and lack of empathy.
- Photos of crowds around the world rising up in the face of fascism and torture.
The key may be in a simple definition of “resilience” based on the patterns of the natural world. One way to think about resilience comes from physical science—stable and unstable equilibrium. An object or a system is in equilibrium when it is at rest. All the forces that would move it one way are balanced by forces that would move it another way. The coffee cup on my desk, the teams in a tug of war game, the ballerina en pointe—all of these are in equilibrium.
Not all equilibrium states are the same, however. Sometimes, equilibrium is “stable.” Stable equilibrium means that if the balance is disturbed, the system will bounce back to where it was before. A pendulum on a clock, a marble in a round-bottomed bowl, water in a pond—any one of these systems will recover from a disruption and return to its earlier, more stable state.
Sometimes a system will be in equilibrium, but it is “unstable.” It may look still and balanced, but when it is disturbed, it doesn’t go back to its initial state. Instead, it moves to a new equilibrium position. The ballerina, a pencil balanced on its point, a toddler, a learning bicyclist—all of these systems are balanced for a moment, but they are vulnerable because a small change can send them careening off into some new place. They are in a state of unstable equilibrium.
So, what does that have to do with Burkina Faso, the Japanese, Egypt, or your organization?
We can think of resilience for an individual or a group as stable equilibrium—the system is balanced and is able to return to its original state after it is disturbed. The lack of resilience is unstable equilibrium—the system doesn’t return after being disrupted. We can use this distinction to build our capacity for resilience in three ways.
1. Take the opportunity in quiet times to gauge the stability of your own equilibrium with the following questions:
- How quickly do I recover from little disturbances?
- How comfortable am I in my current state and how afraid of disruption?
- What was the last time I was really surprised (positively or negatively), and how did I respond?
2. Assess the factors that influence the stability of your equilibrium with the following questions:
- How many and what kinds of connections hold me in place?
- Who are the people that I interact with each day and how do they make me more comfortable or less comfortable?
- What resources (emotional, financial, relationships, etc.) do I have and how long and how well could they sustain me?
3. Test your own equilibrium to build your resilient capacity by:
None of us knows how we would respond in such extreme stress as the Japanese, Egyptians, civil servants, or Burkinabe. We also do not know what challenges await us in a future that will test our stability, but we do know that our equilibria will be tested in the months and years to come. Will we find a stable equilibrium? Will we respond with resilience?
- Challenging your own assumptions and values
- Playing “what-if” games with others and by yourself
- Noticing how you respond to the small, everyday disruptions of life and finding ways to react with more grace and good humor
And, like many HSD concepts, resilience has a flip side. It is possible to be too resilient. That happens when the stable place is not serving you, your organization, or your community well. Libya has a “resilient” leader; an obese person has a “resilient” relationship to food; a dogmatist has a “resilient” commitment to a single idea. In all of these cases, the resilience may be holding a dysfunctional pattern in place. The same questions that helped you build healthy resilience can help you avoid the wrong kind. You can ask: What is the nature of my stability around the issue? What factors reinforce my stable position? How can I shift my equilibrium toward less stability?
So, it looks like HSD can help us think about resilience, but even more than that, it can help shape choices and inform actions to strengthen useful resilience and weaken resilience that blocks life and growth. With the idea of stable and unstable equilibria in mind, we can learn many lessons from people who deal with overwhelming challenges every day.
To see how human systems dynamics can support you as you see, understand, and influence patterns in your life and work, visit us at www.hsdinstitute.org.
Glenda Eoyang, Ph.D.
Executive Director
Human Systems Dynamics Institute
Executive Director
Human Systems Dynamics Institute
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