The Unthinkable: Who Survives When Disaster Strikes - and Why

by Amanda Ripley

I would do (and have done) that are not to be found on most traditional preparedness lists. Each follows from one basic idea: You matter more than you think. 1. Cultivate Resilience: It turns out attitude really does make a difference. People who perform effectively in crises and recover well afterward tend to have three underlying advantages: • They believe they can influence what happens to them. • They find meaningful purpose in life’s turmoil. • They are convinced they can learn from both good and bad experiences. We tend to think of a healthy attitude as fixed: You have it or you don’t. But the more we learn about the brain, the more we realize that most abilities are like juggling or reading: We have potential, and practice makes us much better. We can build resilience through rehearsal, just as we learn a new language by practicing it over and over again. When you find yourself feeling overwhelmed by everyday trials, tell yourself you can influence what happens to you. Tell yourself there is meaningful purpose here, and repeat over and over that you can learn from this ordeal. Even if you don’t entirely believe it, your brain is listening. Nobody in the first week of a foreign-language class believes comprehension will come, but it happens anyway, eventually, with enough practice.