Quote and Overview
"Deriving from the Latin for “to jump again,” “resilience” has sprung into new life as a catchword in international development and Silicon Valley and among parenting pundits and TED-heads."
“The Profound Emptiness of ‘Resilience’” by Parul Sehgal (2015) portrays a rather pessimistic perspective of resilience, arguing that the word “resilience” is overused as a buzzword, to the point that it becomes meaningless. The text also considers the ways college students respond to incidents like acts of racism in their communities, looking at the effects of measures like safe spaces and protests on campus. Lindsay Kovac ’20, a Publishing & Editing and Biology major, introduces this article.
Parul Sehgal
Parul Sehgal works for The New York Times as a book critic. Previously, she was a columnist and senior editor at The New York Times Book Review. She has been a featured speaker at TED and teaches at Columbia University and the Center for the Humanities at CUNY. She has work featured in The Atlantic, Slate, Bookforum, The New Yorker, Tin House, and The Literary Review.
Discussion Questions
1. According to the article, there have been an "ancient attraction" to stories of resilience throughout history. What are some classic events, real or fiction, that show resilience?
2. Do you think the media accurately portrays resilience?
3. The author describes teenagers as "terribly touchy" in today's world. Do you think that kids and teenagers today are too sensitive? Why or why not?
In-Class Activities
1. Have students take a survey on whether or not they believe that their generation is "terribly touchy". Discuss the findings as a class.
