Another frequently asked question…
Again Donella:
Resilience has many definitions, depending on the branch of engineering, ecology, or system science doing the defining. For our purposes, the normal dictionary meaning will do: “the ability to bounce or spring back into shape, position, etc., after being pressed or stretched. Elasticity. The ability to recover strength, spirits, good humor, or any other aspect quickly.”
Systems need to be managed not only for productivity or stability, they also need to be managed for resilience— the ability to recover from perturbation, the ability to restore or repair themselves.
Learning the ability to be resilience as persons and as communities is crucial for sustainable development. Hier is an interesting article in Spanish about learning how to improve our personal resilience.