Two Types of Resilience: One Is Often Ignored

Investor Eric Markowitz's forthcoming book, "Outlast," examines how the world's oldest companies have sustained themselves across centuries. Case studies like a Japanese construction firm founded in 578 AD and the Italian arms manufacturer Beretta, established in 1526, illustrate organizations that have endured wars, revolutions, and significant technological shifts.

Markowitz's findings suggest that the resilience of these enduring companies differs substantially from contemporary understandings. "When you study these organizations, you realize that our modern definition of resilience is dangerously incomplete," he writes. He argues that resilience should not solely be viewed as an individual character trait but rather as akin to a defining property of an ecosystem.

True resilience encompasses both individual and systemic as well as social components. This principle applies not only to historical corporations but also to contemporary individuals and organizations. However, most tend to focus on only one of these aspects.

Emiliana Simon-Thomas, science director at UC Berkeley's Greater Good Science Center, employs a thought experiment to illustrate this point. A hypothetical shipwreck scenario demonstrates that survival necessitates not only physical and mental fortitude but also adaptability and creativity, alongside a sheer will to live. These are individual strengths, but they represent only part of the complete picture.