My grandmother raised 6 children alone with no money and no help - and she carried a quiet philosophy about hardship that psychologists are only now putting into words - Silicon Canals

"She'd developed what psychologists today call "adaptive coping strategies" and maintained what they term a "growth mindset" decades before these concepts had names. Her approach to life's difficulties wasn't unique to her generation, but it feels increasingly rare today. And the more I learn about the science of resilience, the more I understand that her quiet philosophy wasn't just old-fashioned stoicism. It was a sophisticated psychological framework for thriving in adversity."

"My grandmother couldn't control losing her husband. Couldn't control the limited job opportunities for women in the 1950s. Couldn't control the fact that her eldest son had to leave school at fourteen to help support the family. But she could control getting up every morning at 5 AM to prepare breakfast before her cleaning job. She could control how she spent every penny, keeping meticulous records in a small notebook."

A personal reflection on the author's grandmother reveals practical resilience principles that align with modern psychological research. Widowed young with six children in post-war Britain, the grandmother demonstrated adaptive coping strategies through disciplined action, resourcefulness, and emotional regulation. She focused exclusively on controllable aspects of her circumstances—waking early, managing finances meticulously, and teaching her children valuable skills—rather than dwelling on uncontrollable losses. Her philosophy of "we do what needs doing" embodied what researchers now call growth mindset and post-traumatic growth. Her approach combined practical problem-solving with emotional acceptance, avoiding victimhood narratives while maintaining quiet strength. These strategies, developed through lived experience decades before psychological terminology existed, represent sophisticated frameworks for thriving during adversity that remain increasingly rare in contemporary society.

Read at Silicon Canals