Viability vs. Resilience Concept in Context of Psycholinguistic Triad “Resource – Potential – Vitality”

Abstract

The article has an attempt to describe viability vs. resilience concept as manifestation form of activity and adaptability of systems in context of psycholinguistic triad “resource – potential – vitality”. First, the definition of “viability” has been given: “the ability to retain important personality traits for a long time, but in the short term – less important, but more relevant here and now; combination of system stability and its adaptability, self-identity and conformity, usefulness, suitability, optimality and suboptimality” (according to E. Rylska). Second, the philosophical triad “resource – potential – vitality” has been characterized: a) resource(s) include everything that can be used by a person for effective existence and maintaining the quality of life; b) potential is the means that are available, as well as the means that can be mobilized, used to achieve a certain goal, to solve a problem; c) the vitality category is associated with flexibility, resilience, the ability to take any necessary form. Third, the key properties of viability have been fixed: a) resilience to life is the structure of attitudes and strategies that facilitate the process of transforming stressful circumstances from potentially destructive to growth opportunities (S. Maddi); b) resilience as the ability to recover from stressful situations, the ability to regenerate, to post-traumatic growth; c) sense of coherence (A. Antonovsky) is “a person’s ability to coherently, cognitively and emotionally, perceive what is happening as controlled by him” (T. Ivanova); d) optimism as a positive personality trait associated with success, joy, well-being and satisfaction; e) self-efficacy is a cognitive assessment of one’s own ability to perform effectively and cope with difficult situations (A. Bandura); f) tolerance to uncertainty is a neutral or positive attitude of a subject to uncertain situations (unfamiliar, complex, changeable, ambiguous; g) control of one’s behaviour is considered a personal characteristic that predicts the success of an activity and well-being, including in the long term.