You may know people who are seemingly unflappable. Steadfast. As if they’ve somehow been inoculated with antibodies to render them able to survive, strive, and even thrive through major life stressors and transitions. What is it about these people? Are they born with resilient genes, or does culture play a role? Do they have certain outlooks or behaviors that make them able to manage life with grace and confidence, and if so, are these skills that everyone can learn?

As a psychiatrist, anthropologist, and humanitarian adviser, I’ve seen the limits of routine Western approaches to adversity. Working with people facing everything from everyday instability to profound human rights violations, I’ve learned that resilience isn’t inherited or taught in isolation—it emerges from the stories we tell, the rituals we keep, and the connections we depend on. This book distills those lessons so that anyone, in any culture or context, can meet life’s uncertainties with clarity and confidence.