From Steel to Silk: Are We Losing Our Resilience?

Do hard times really forge strong generations—and do good times make us soft? Or is that just nostalgia in nicer shoes? In this session we’ll test the “resilience cycle” (hard times → strong people → good times → weak people → hard times) against history, data, and lived experience. Come ready to challenge assumptions—respectfully—and leave with a clearer view of what actually builds resilience today.

Discussion prompts

1. Are we actually weaker—or just facing different kinds of stressors?
2. Comfort: does it stunt growth or free us to build higher-order strengths?
3. Selection bias: do “strong era” stories only spotlight survivors and extremes?
4. What are fair metrics of resilience (personal, community, national)?
5. Tech & safety nets: cushioning weakness or enabling smarter risk-taking?
6. How do we build resilient people without glamorising suffering?