In the Medscape article by Wayne Sotile, Ph.D., these medical families frequently use these four attitudes to come out of difficult times. Meaning: suffering without understanding its importance brings unhappiness. Wonderment: that capacity for seeing the familiar in unfamiliar ways. During the pandemic, people experienced renewed appreciation of their work and the lifestyle that threatened the family. The successful medical couple understood the role of their partner. “More important than how much or what you do is being honored by your mate for what you do” helped them a lot. Incorporation: Resilient people incorporate the new challenge into the flow of their unfolding journey, as in, “My life/career is about a lot of stuff. Now it is about this, too. So, I’ll learn to live with ___ (fill in the blank).” Realistic Optimism entails acknowledging the challenges you’re facing and maintaining an attitude of hope while understanding and navigating aversive conditions.
The Four Attitudes of Resilient Medical Families