RESILIENCE - A PATH TO WHOLENESS

 

RESILIENCE is one of nature's wonderful abilities that goes hand in hand with growth.

Resilience in living nature is not just bouncing back after a ‘shock’, like the springs of a car, but a kind of ‘springing forward’: taking a step back in order to take a slightly bigger step forward. It is the dynamic of a growth process. This dynamic is at work in countless plants and animals, indeed in all of nature, and therefore certainly also in us humans. Problems and shocks challenge us to ‘take a step back’, but then, renewed, to take a step further. Through recovery, the path continues towards wholeness, maturity, completion.

Wise nature offers us a wealth of examples—including different types of resilience, of which we can mention only a few here.

IN THE PLANT WORLD
Some types of resilience are: physiological, morphological, biochemical, ecological, relational and cooperative.

PHYSIOLOGICAL:

Some plants close their stomata during drought to limit water loss, strengthen themselves during this ‘rest period’ and continue to grow when moisture returns. For example, cacti and other desert plants open their stomata at night and close them again when light increases - and thus also during dry and wet periods respectively.



MORPHOLOGICAL (shape and movement):

These same cacti often also form a buffer: they have thick stems and thorns to retain water and limit evaporation—and thus survive periods of drought—only to open up and often bloom beautifully when moisture returns.
Or, as with sunflowers, which make ‘rapid’ movements with their flowers and leaves in order to make optimal use of sunlight, which is necessary for photosynthesis: the creation of nourishing sugars and the production of oxygen.
This heliotropism (moving towards the sun - and towards light in general) is something that almost all plants do, albeit less noticeably and quickly than sunflowers, for example. All plants have an inner urge towards light - to stay alive and to continue growing to completion.

BIOCHEMICAL: 

Plants produce a wide variety of protective substances to defend themselves against heat,  UV radiation, drought, and/or attackers—and continue to grow steadily. For example, grapes, berries, tomatoes, apples, and red cabbage have natural sun filters that also prevent DNA damage. In spinach, carrots, corn, and peppers, the photosynthesis apparatus is protected against excessive light energy. Other plants emit protective scents or irritating substances, such as nettles.
In fact, almost every plant species has its own mix of antioxidants, photoprotective or repellent substances, depending on the environment in which they grow. 



ECOLOGICAL and RELATIONAL / CO-OPERATIVE

Many plants form seeds, sometimes entire seed banks underground, which can wait a long time until conditions are favorable again, and then continue to grow and develop. 
Other plants (e.g., grasses) develop rhizomes, in which food is stored and growth points develop, so that they can grow ‘quickly’ again later (e.g., after grazing or fire) - and flower!

This underground activity is an extraordinarily rich area, which has received a lot of attention in recent decades, because of its ‘social’ aspect: many plants help each other, protect each other, and warn each other of danger. The root systems (rhizomes) are not only intertwined, but in addition to providing physical support and stability to the plant or tree, they also have life-promoting functions in two directions: the nutrients from photosynthesis in the leaves are transported to the roots, where they feed fungi, algae, and bacteria. Conversely, water is transported upwards, partly through capillary action, containing a multitude of specific (growth) substances, which the bacteria, algae, and fungi produce ‘in return’ for the plant/tree and its flowers and fruits.

And, as mentioned, this is not only for the individual plant or tree, but for the large network of all large and small plants together. This has been playfully called the Wood Wide Web, after the www (world wide web) of the internet, to indicate the mainly underground active relationship between trees and other plants, e.g. in a forest. It is also remarkable that there is often a certain hierarchy, in which, for example, “mother trees” play a special (leading, protective) role within a particular ecosystem—and this also applies between different plant species. It is an extraordinarily rich form of mutual support and cooperation. A diversity and cooperation that form an essential ‘key’ to the resilience of a piece of nature. True ecological resilience!

    [ A particularly beautiful book on this subject is Peter Wohlleben's THE HIDDEN LIFE OF TREES: What They Feel, How They Communicate. Discoveries from an Unknown World. ]


IN THE ANIMAL WORLD
Here too quite a number of types of resilience, such as: behavioral, physiological, phenomenological, ecological, relational / cooperative.

BEHAVIOR / MOBILITY

Many birds migrate (travel) thousands of kilometers to avoid cold weather or food shortages—only to return (often to the same breeding ground) to reproduce, grow, and evolve as a species in the long term.
Well-known examples are migratory swallows and geese, but there are dozens of other species of migrants, such as the nightingale, the garden warbler (pic.), the starling, the white stork, etc.

In addition to this ‘extreme’ mobility, nearly all animals also engage in local mobility or flexibility, which offers them additional opportunities to search for food, nest, mate, etc., with that typical resilient movement :  returning briefly and then moving somewhat more forward again.

PHYSIOLOGICAL:
Some animals hibernate or estivate to conserve energy in extreme cold or heat (heat also requires a lot of energy to stay cool !) - only to wake up again and continue living and developing.

Well-known examples are hedgehogs, bats, and hamsters (pic.), which hibernate to conserve energy in cold weather and when food is scarce. Their heart rate and breathing slow down and their body temperature drops significantly, allowing them to survive for months without eating and/or by using their fat reserves very ‘carefully’. A specific form of hibernation is also seen in reptiles and amphibians, such as snakes and turtles, which often burrow into the mud under water.
Insects are different again: they hibernate as eggs or, like ladybugs, gather in groups and slow down their bodily functions.  
I also find it interesting that in certain bears, such as black and brown bears, the females give birth deep in their warm dens during their hibernation/drowsiness, which is of course extremely energy-efficient.
 

Summer sleep (estivation) is less well known, but also occurs frequently, for example in platypuses (fig.), ground squirrels, toads, and frogs.
Snails prevent dehydration in the summer heat by closing the opening of their shells. They then go into summer rest or diapause, which allows them to survive the dry and hot season.

An ‘intermediate form’ is the winter rest of, for example, badgers, squirrels, and the aforementioned bears, which can lower their body temperature but still wake up in between to eat, such as the squirrel, which from time to time draws on its winter supplies.

ADAPTATION OF APPEARANCE (phenomenological)

Many mammals develop a thick winter coat, which they lose again in the spring, in order to continue living and growing ‘refreshed’. Others change color, such as the snow hare (fig.), which changes from brown to white in winter and is therefore less noticeable to predators: a form of dynamic and protective mimicry.

A completely different solution to overcome drought and food shortages can be seen in camels, which can go weeks without water and with little food by storing fat and moisture in their humps and elsewhere and regulating their body temperature.

ECOLOGICAL:
Animals adapt their food choices or seek support and protection by living in groups in order to increase their chances of survival.

We see this adaptation of food choice and environment in salmon, for example, which adapts to salt and fresh water in its different life stages by swimming against the strong current of (‘fresh’) rivers to spawn there - and then later returning to the salty sea water.
Deer switch ‘effortlessly’ to bark and twigs when grass and herbs are scarce in winter.

COOPERATION (cooperative):
Just as plants are resilient, survive, grow and evolve through cooperation, we see this frequently in animals as well. One of the most striking examples is ants (pic.), which, through amazing and creative cooperation, manage to find food (see illustration) and systematically store it in their colonies. 

Moreover, through a sophisticated division of labor and keen strategy, they protect and defend themselves against external threats.

Higher termites store food by eating and converting forms of cellulose (wood, paper, grass, etc.) and by cultivating fungal gardens: fungi grow on plant material, which serve as (protein-rich) food. And here too, as with ants, there is a striking division of labor that benefits their lives, survival, and further development. 
Here again we see forms of resilience that have been developed within their own context and capabilities.

In addition to these ‘small’ animals, there are many forms of coexistence and cooperation that we can easily observe, such as in (families of) elephants, (packs of) wolves, lions hunting together, just like dolphins and orcas which hunt in teams. This togetherness holds also for cattle, dogs, meerkats, monkeys, and giraffes. These are all animals that, through mutual support, can cope with the “challenges of life,” are resilient, and so can continue to grow and develop.

FISH AND BIRDS:
Of course, birds and fish are also animals, but they differ in many ways from land animals, including reptiles and amphibians. Fish and especially birds are very good at working together and living in communities, which makes them extra resilient and also allows them to evolve further by adapting to changing situations.

FISH are, in general, social animals. They are known to defend their food sources together and even form coalitions with other species to do so. They communicate through visual, acoustic, and chemical signals and through behavior. They often maintain powerful hierarchies. There are plenty of examples of how they can learn quickly from each other, e.g. to find food or recognize an enemy. For example, the toothfish (fig.) warns its colleagues of hidden prey by vibrating. Mutualism also occurs: providing services to each other, such as cleaning each other.

These are all examples of how they remain flexible and creative in the midst of all kinds of ‘problems’, develop new strategies, and thus demonstrate great resilience and ongoing development.

BIRDS are perhaps even more striking in this regard. They have many ways of communicating and living together, which promotes their survival, resilience, and thus their future and development.

Sparrows, parrots, flamingos (fig.), crows, and songbirds, such as thrushes and blackbirds, are just a few of the countless examples. Their high intelligence is evident in many ways: 
* group formation, which helps protect them from predators and at navigation during migration, 
* communication through sounds, body language, and colors, both to recognize each other and to warn of danger, inform each other about food, and also learn from each other strategies and adaptations to new situations.
* cooperation in searching for food, choosing nests, raising young and sharing food (for the young), protecting against danger and practising tactics.
* heterogeneity: actively using different qualities and abilities by cooperating with other birds of different species.
* organization, division of tasks (e.g., in attack and defense or in acquiring food), with a clear hierarchy, with leaders and followers, in order to function optimally and reach best results.


AND - LAST BUT NOT LEAST - WE AS HUMANS ?

After all that has been said, it may be (very) clear how much nature teaches us to be resilient and to grow toward greater wholeness and fulfillment.

Without wanting to be exhaustive, I will mention a few points:

* Connection and cooperation: We increase our human resilience through cooperation, relationships, and connection. This is extremely important in everyday life. Seek support from each other; don't try to solve your problems on your own.

* Heterogeneity: In addition, as birds and so many other animals (and plants) teach us, be open to the power of heterogeneity: appreciating and consciously ‘utilizing’ mutual differences. Nature teaches us time and again that monocultures are particularly vulnerable. So, let yourself be taught and helped by people who have a different background or a different vision. It's not easy, but it is often the key to a real solution.

* Slow variables: Nature also teaches us to pay attention to what we call ‘slow variables’: to be aware of and trust in developments that are inconspicuous and slow, but which in the long run are much more effective than short-lived events and so-called quick changes or solutions, the so-called quick fixes. Be patient, let things grow, trust in the deeper and so-called soft forces of life.

* Keep learning: Another point is the willingness to keep learning, to remain open to new approaches and insights, because existing information and ideas often become outdated quickly and because growing with them is necessary to stay in touch with life, to remain resilient.

* The bigger picture: What often also helps greatly to remain resilient is to have an eye for the bigger picture and the developments we are often in the middle of (and therefore difficult to see). What are the real values and goals in our lives? Your religious beliefs or your philosophy of life: these can give us powerful confidence and are what provide support in the longer term.

* Consciousness: More and more is becoming known about consciousness in animals, their emotions, their joy and pain, their purposefulness. We often refer to this as instinct and consider it a kind of (automatic) mechanism - “different from us humans.” Ongoing research is increasingly nuancing this and expanding the concepts. Through thinking, distancing ourselves, and prolonged reflection, our consciousness can grow, our self-awareness can deepen, we can learn more from our experiences, we can understand more about what actually motivates us—and thus become increasingly equipped with the resilience that makes us grow and brings us to ever greater wholeness and fulfillment.

 

Dear reader, thank you for reading this far.

I hope that all the dynamics in nature—of which we are an integral part—strengthen your confidence that we have good resources to remain resilient and grow toward greater wholeness.

May we all be granted that confidence, that energy, and that fulfillment!

Johan Muijtjens

October 2025