The importance of fostering resilience in the early years of life
When we talk about the concept of resilience —the human capacity to adapt to and overcome difficult or adverse daily situations and to recover from pain—the French neuropsychiatrist Boris Cyrulnik is a leading figure worldwide. He has dedicated much of his life to studying the human mechanisms for combating suffering, drawing on his personal experience of overcoming traumatic events. Cyrulnik survived World War II and Nazism at the age of six, when he lost most of his family in Auschwitz. He is a professor at the University of Toulon, France, and has published around twenty books for the general public, including "Ugly Ducklings," "Resilience and Adaptation," and "The Love That Heals." He is currently developing a project for the French government to promote empathy in preschools.
In an extended discussion on BBVA's parenting and education platform, Aprendemos juntos (We Learn Together) , the neuropsychiatrist spoke about the concept of resilience and its fostering in the early years of life. According to Professor Cyrulnik, resilience is a lifelong process, but the early years are crucial . "Resilience is not the same when we are children, before we can speak, when we are children and can speak, when we are teenagers, or when we are adults. The situations that trigger resilience will not be the same."
What is resilience and why is it important in adolescence?
One of the key factors she points to for creating altruistic , empathetic societies with resilient individuals is fostering security in childhood, that is, creating safe and loving environments for children, both at home and at school. The first step in helping a child become more resilient is to instill a sense of security within the family environment so they can acquire the factors and skills that will allow them to be resilient. When we grow up strong and secure, when we experience adverse and painful events, which are inevitable in daily life, having learned to cope with suffering in a healthy way, we will suffer less and avoid feeling distressed.
What creates that security in childhood is the family bond that is woven daily through routine, with time and patience. In a fast-paced and very busy society where families barely have time to spend with their children, the professor proposes slowing down the pace of life. "For families to have security, they need to slow down. And they should learn to sing or play sports with their children. The key is to have fun in order to learn the art of living." Another fundamental point he makes for developing resilience in childhood is teaching children to trust themselves and others, fostering altruism and empathy .
Socio-emotional skills that promote resilience
Art and resilience
When asked if the brain has mechanisms to overcome or defend itself when we experience difficult situations, Cyrulnik points out that art plays a very important role. In the process of building resilience, for coping with adversity, art is an excellent tool, and that's why it's important to foster artistic expression from a young age. "Works of art, very early on, even in kindergarten, and stories teach children to express themselves."
Artistic productions, he explains, help us overcome the inherent tragedies of the human condition. “Films, books, and plays tell tragedies; they tell moving stories of people who manage to overcome tragedy. And, for us, they are ways of understanding, but for those who are suffering, it is also a way of asking the artist to be their spokesperson.” For the neuropsychiatrist, art is a way of representing tragedy in a bearable way, since others can understand it without becoming distressed or uncomfortable.
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