Against All Odds (with help)

Having finished reading Demon Copperhead a few days ago, I find myself reflecting on the resiliency of several young men I met in books over the past few months.

I hear that the film adaptation of The Boys in the Boat was quite good. I haven’t seen it, but the book was an excellent read. Joe Rantz was an impressive young man who, against all odds, managed to rise above a life of poverty, neglect, and abandonment to become an American hero. But he was modest. When asked by author Daniel James Brown if he would be willing to talk about his life leading up to winning gold at the 1936 Olympic rowing event, Rantz responded that he would but added, “But not just about me. It has to be about the boat.”

Derek Black, the main character in Eli Saslow’s Rising Out of Hatred, was raised to be a White Nationalist. He was exceptionally smart and talented, from a young age. Saslow follows Black’s transformation from a young man who espouses an extreme ideology to a person who completely changes his mind about his convictions. It’s a fascinating story, one that points to the power of a liberal arts education, the impact close friendship can have on a person’s belief system, and the strength and resilience it takes to go against what one’s family stands for. This book is very much worth a read.

Barbara Kingsolver’s retelling of David Copperfield is another powerful story. Despite being a fictional character, Demon accurately represents countless children growing up in rural poverty in this country today. He rises above neglect, abuse, and hatred. He stumbles along the way, but he recognizes goodness when he sees it and accepts help when it is offered. Demon is an extremely likeable protagonist. You can’t help rooting for him.

Each of these characters exhibit unusual strength in rising above incredibly challenging situations. And each of them has at least one close relationship with someone who believes in them. They couldn’t have accomplished what they did alone. This is a hallmark of resilience, something I have noticed over and over in my work as a psychotherapist and psychology professor. Some people are more resilient than others, but no one is resilient without help.

Who do you know who has exhibited resilience and to what do you attribute their success? Who helped them along their way?