--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: He explained that our amount of…" description: "\"“He explained that our amount of resilience isn’t fixed, so I should be asking instead how I could become resilient. Resilience is the strength and spe..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/20b/sheryl-sandberg-439_resilience_he-explained-that-our-amount-of-resilien_972636.png" --- # He explained that our amount of resilience isn’t fixed, so… ![“He explained that our amount of resilience isn’t fixed, so I should be asking instead how I could become resilient. Resilience is the strength and speed of our response to adversity—and we can build it. It isn’t about having a backbone. It’s about strengthening the muscles around our backbone.” quote by Sheryl Sandberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/20b/sheryl-sandberg-439_resilience_he-explained-that-our-amount-of-resilien_972636.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/20b/sheryl-sandberg-439_resilience_he-explained-that-our-amount-of-resilien_972636.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/20b/sheryl-sandberg-439_resilience_he-explained-that-our-amount-of-resilien_972636.png) > ““He explained that our amount of resilience isn’t fixed, so I should be asking instead how I could become resilient. Resilience is the strength and speed of our response to adversity—and we can build it. It isn’t about having a backbone. It’s about strengthening the muscles around our backbone.”” [Sheryl Sandberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sheryl-sandberg/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Resilience can be developed through practice, not a fixed trait; it’s about strengthening response mechanisms to adversity. **In simple terms:** Resilience is a skill you can train. Key Takeaway Practice adaptive coping to build resilience. Themes growth psychology adaptation Mood determined hopeful Type motivational practical When to use this quote - career setbacks - personal loss - health challenges - learning new skills Key Concepts Neuroplasticity stress response skill acquisition Questions to Reflect On - What habits can you adopt to strengthen your response to stress? - How do you measure progress in resilience? A Different Perspective Resilience growth may be slow and requires consistent effort. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Resilience](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/resilience/) [Resilient](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/resilient/) [Strength](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/strength/) ## Related quotes > [“I thought resilience was the capacity to endure pain, so I asked Adam how I could figure out how much I had. He explained…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sheryl-sandberg/i-thought-resilience-was-the-capacity-to-endure-pain-so-i-asked-adam/) [Sheryl Sandberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sheryl-sandberg/) > [“be asking instead how I could become resilient. Resilience is the strength and speed of our response to adversity—and we can build it. It…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sheryl-sandberg/be-asking-instead-how-i-could-become-resilient-resilience-is-the/) [Sheryl Sandberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sheryl-sandberg/) > [“Resilience is the strength and speed of our response to adversity—and we can build it. It isn’t about having a backbone. It’s about strengthening…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sheryl-sandberg/resilience-is-the-strength-and-speed-of-our-response-to-adversity-and/) [Sheryl Sandberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sheryl-sandberg/) > [“Resilience is the strength and speed of our response to adversity—and”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sheryl-sandberg/resilience-is-the-strength-and-speed-of-our-response-to-adversity-and-2/) [Sheryl Sandberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sheryl-sandberg/) > [“These times are hard, but I won't walk away jaded, darker, different. I feel. I cry to heal. If you saw me in those…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vironika-tugaleva/these-times-are-hard-but-i-won-t-walk-away-jaded-darker-different-i/) [Vironika Tugaleva](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vironika-tugaleva/) > [“Resilience isn’t a personality trait. It’s a decision you make when the alternative is disappearing.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hagir-elsheikh/resilience-isn-t-a-personality-trait-it-s-a-decision-you-make-when/) [Hagir Elsheikh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hagir-elsheikh/) > [Gloom and despondency have never defeated adversity. Trying times need courage and resilience. Our strength as a people is not tested during the best…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thabo-mbeki/gloom-and-despondency-have-never-defeated-adversity-trying-times-need/) [Thabo Mbeki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thabo-mbeki/) > [But hope has an astonishing resilience and strength. Its very persistence in our hearts indicates that it is not a tonic for wishful thinkers…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kathleen-norris/but-hope-has-an-astonishing-resilience-and-strength-its-very/) [Kathleen Norris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kathleen-norris/) > [On the other hand, the American public possesses a great resilience and strength, and good risk communication strategies can tap into and even amplify…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-j-kennedy/on-the-other-hand-the-american-public-possesses-a-great-resilience/) [Patrick J. Kennedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-j-kennedy/) > [Curiosity has ... proven to be a great ingredient in resilience, a trait particularly valuable in an extended economic downturn. Resilient people aren't made…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chip-conley/curiosity-has-proven-to-be-a-great-ingredient-in-resilience-a-trait/) [Chip Conley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chip-conley/) > [“When we learn how to become resilient, we learn how to embrace the beautifully broad spectrum of the human experience.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jaeda-dewalt/when-we-learn-how-to-become-resilient-we-learn-how-to-embrace-the/) [Jaeda DeWalt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jaeda-dewalt/) > [“Sleep is our recharge function and our reset button...and we all need a reset button sometimes.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-owen/sleep-is-our-recharge-function-and-our-reset-button-and-we-all-need-a/) [Sam Owen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-owen/) > [“Every word I write is a defiance of despair, every idea is testament to life out loud.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abhijit-naskar/every-word-i-write-is-a-defiance-of-despair-every-idea-is-testament/) [Abhijit Naskar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abhijit-naskar/) > [If you are lucky enough to never experience any sort of adversity, we won't know how resilient you are. It's only when you're faced…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-konnikova/if-you-are-lucky-enough-to-never-experience-any-sort-of-adversity-we/) [Maria Konnikova](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maria-konnikova/) > [I think we've bounced back and really been resilient. Even after a bad period, we take over and we seem like we're on a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-fisher/i-think-we-ve-bounced-back-and-really-been-resilient-even-after-a-bad/) [Mike Fisher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-fisher/) ## More by Sheryl Sandberg > [“Still, my argument was that if she was going to work for the next 30 years, what difference does "going back" 4 years really…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sheryl-sandberg/still-my-argument-was-that-if-she-was-going-to-work-for-the-next-30/) [Sheryl Sandberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sheryl-sandberg/) > [“Reverend Veronica Goines sums this up as, “Peace is joy at rest, and joy is peace on its feet.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sheryl-sandberg/reverend-veronica-goines-sums-this-up-as-peace-is-joy-at-rest-and-joy/) [Sheryl Sandberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sheryl-sandberg/) > [ “\[Eric Schmidt\] explained that only one criterion that mattered when picking a job- fat growth. When companies grow quickly, there are more things to… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sheryl-sandberg/eric-schmidt-explained-that-only-one-criterion-that-mattered-when/) [Sheryl Sandberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sheryl-sandberg/) > [When I went to college, as much as my parents emphasized academic achievement, they emphasized marriage even more. They told me that the most…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sheryl-sandberg/when-i-went-to-college-as-much-as-my-parents-emphasized-academic/) [Sheryl Sandberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sheryl-sandberg/) > [Go to a playground: Little girls get called 'bossy' all the time, a word that's almost never used for boys. And that leads directly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sheryl-sandberg/go-to-a-playground-little-girls-get-called-bossy-all-the-time-a-word/) [Sheryl Sandberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sheryl-sandberg/) > [“One of my favorite quotes comes from author Alice Walker, who observed, “The most common way people give up their power is by thinking…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sheryl-sandberg/one-of-my-favorite-quotes-comes-from-author-alice-walker-who-observed/) [Sheryl Sandberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sheryl-sandberg/) > [Aggressive and hard-charging women violate unwritten rules about acceptable social conduct. Men are continually applauded for being ambitious and powerful and successful, but women…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sheryl-sandberg/aggressive-and-hard-charging-women-violate-unwritten-rules-about/) [Sheryl Sandberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sheryl-sandberg/) > [“When I wrote Lean In, some people argued that I did not spend enough time writing about the difficulties women face when they don’t…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sheryl-sandberg/when-i-wrote-lean-in-some-people-argued-that-i-did-not-spend-enough/) [Sheryl Sandberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sheryl-sandberg/) > [“Survivor guilt is a thief of joy—yet another secondary loss from death.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sheryl-sandberg/survivor-guilt-is-a-thief-of-joy-yet-another-secondary-loss-from-death/) [Sheryl Sandberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sheryl-sandberg/) > [I am a bigger-picture manager because I've lived through something that's a big picture.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sheryl-sandberg/i-am-a-bigger-picture-manager-because-i-ve-lived-through-something/) [Sheryl Sandberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sheryl-sandberg/) > [Presenting leadership as a list of carefully defined qualities (like strategic, analytical, and performance-ori ented) no longer holds. Instead, true leadership stems from individuality…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sheryl-sandberg/presenting-leadership-as-a-list-of-carefully-defined-qualities-like/) [Sheryl Sandberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sheryl-sandberg/) > [So there's no such thing as work-life balance. There's work, and there's life, and there's no balance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sheryl-sandberg/so-there-s-no-such-thing-as-work-life-balance-there-s-work-and-there/) [Sheryl Sandberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sheryl-sandberg/) > [Men can comfortably claim credit for what they do as long as they don't veer into arrogance. For women, taking credit comes at a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sheryl-sandberg/men-can-comfortably-claim-credit-for-what-they-do-as-long-as-they-don/) [Sheryl Sandberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sheryl-sandberg/) > [“As Helen Keller put it, “When one door of happiness closes, another opens; but often we look so long at the closed door that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sheryl-sandberg/as-helen-keller-put-it-when-one-door-of-happiness-closes-another/) [Sheryl Sandberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sheryl-sandberg/) > [“Forty percent of employed mothers lack sick days and vacation leave, and about 50 percent of employed mothers are unable to take time off…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sheryl-sandberg/forty-percent-of-employed-mothers-lack-sick-days-and-vacation-leave/) [Sheryl Sandberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sheryl-sandberg/) [Explore all 557 Sheryl Sandberg quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sheryl-sandberg/) ## More Resilience quotes > [Grit and self-control are related, but they're not the same thing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angela-duckworth/grit-and-self-control-are-related-but-they-re-not-the-same-thing/) [Angela Duckworth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angela-duckworth/) > [Grit, determination, the right amount of crazy, self belief - everything it takes to be a champion. I have that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dustin-poirier/grit-determination-the-right-amount-of-crazy-self-belief-everything/) [Dustin Poirier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dustin-poirier/) > [“Desert are you, deluge are you, in a crowd of fakes, only truth is you.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abhijit-naskar/desert-are-you-deluge-are-you-in-a-crowd-of-fakes-only-truth-is-you/) [Abhijit Naskar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abhijit-naskar/) > [The cognitive skills that underpin resilience, then, seem like they can indeed be learned over time, creating resilience where there was none.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-konnikova/the-cognitive-skills-that-underpin-resilience-then-seem-like-they-can/) [Maria Konnikova](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maria-konnikova/) > [“You may write me down in history With your bitter, twisted lies, You may tread me in the very dirt But still, like dust,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maya-angelou/you-may-write-me-down-in-history-with-your-bitter-twisted-lies-you/) [Maya Angelou](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maya-angelou/) > [“Grits Glossary blues \\’blüz\\ n: nothing but a good man singing about hardship, sorrow, and the things he’s done wrong--but sake’s alive, they make…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deborah-ford/grits-glossary-blues-bl-z-n-nothing-but-a-good-man-singing-about/) [Deborah Ford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deborah-ford/) > [“Sometimes resilience arrives in the moment you discover your own unshakeable goodness.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gregory-boyle/sometimes-resilience-arrives-in-the-moment-you-discover-your-own/) [Gregory Boyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gregory-boyle/) > [“Mistakes are lessons and lessons are gifts. Examine them.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jen-knox/mistakes-are-lessons-and-lessons-are-gifts-examine-them/) Jen Knox > [What I always liked best about myself was my resilience, especially in this business with all the 'no's,' the doors closed in my face.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lachanze/what-i-always-liked-best-about-myself-was-my-resilience-especially-in/) [LaChanze](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lachanze/) > [One's own troubles can be borne with fortitude; only a monster of indifference can bear the sufferings of others with fortitude.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-ertz/one-s-own-troubles-can-be-borne-with-fortitude-only-a-monster-of/) [Susan Ertz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-ertz/) > [“I really do believe stories about the struggles of life do help foster resilient and happy children. They make Tips children understand the whole…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/iben-dissing-sandahl/i-really-do-believe-stories-about-the-struggles-of-life-do-help/) [Iben Dissing Sandahl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/iben-dissing-sandahl/) > [My tenacity and determination to be true to the person I had become were sacrosanct.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/goldie-hawn/my-tenacity-and-determination-to-be-true-to-the-person-i-had-become/) [Goldie Hawn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/goldie-hawn/) > [“Keep going even when the going is slow and uncertain. Make your dream your prayer and your service. Don’t wait for recognition. Let it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/g-g-renee-hill/keep-going-even-when-the-going-is-slow-and-uncertain-make-your-dream/) [G.G. Renee Hill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/g-g-renee-hill/) > [Grit can't be measured on pop quizzes, but it can often predict long-term success more than mere intelligence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-moser/grit-can-t-be-measured-on-pop-quizzes-but-it-can-often-predict-long/) [Laura Moser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-moser/) > [We could encourage the best qualities of youthfulness - curiosity, adventure, resilience, the capacity for surprising insight simply by being more flexible about time,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-taylor-gatto/we-could-encourage-the-best-qualities-of-youthfulness-curiosity/) [John Taylor Gatto](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-taylor-gatto/) [Browse all 1,138 Resilience quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/resilience/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“He explained that our amount of resilience isn’t fixed, so I should be asking instead how I could become resilient. Resilience is the strength and speed of our response to adversity—and we can build it. It isn’t about having a backbone. It’s about strengthening the muscles around our backbone.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Sheryl Sandberg" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sheryl-sandberg/he-explained-that-our-amount-of-resilience-isn-t-fixed-so-i-should-be/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Resilience" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sheryl-sandberg/he-explained-that-our-amount-of-resilience-isn-t-fixed-so-i-should-be/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/20b/sheryl-sandberg-439_resilience_he-explained-that-our-amount-of-resilien_972636.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/20b/sheryl-sandberg-439_resilience_he-explained-that-our-amount-of-resilien_972636.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/20b/sheryl-sandberg-439_resilience_he-explained-that-our-amount-of-resilien_972636.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“He explained that our amount of resilience isn’t fixed, so I should be asking instead how I could become…” — Sheryl Sandberg", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Sheryl Sandberg", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sheryl-sandberg/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“He explained that our amount of...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sheryl-sandberg/he-explained-that-our-amount-of-resilience-isn-t-fixed-so-i-should-be/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sheryl-sandberg/he-explained-that-our-amount-of-resilience-isn-t-fixed-so-i-should-be/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```