From my own experience, I'd say it does in some ways.  I think I've mentioned before that I had ptsd after a really bad car accident when I was a teenager.  It involved trembling, sleeplessness, nightmares, etc.  The effects of that went away for the most part after some time, although I'm still not a good passenger.

However, more recently I went through a very long period of illness, during which I had a really terrible procedure done that I still don't much like to talk about.  After that, I had a really difficult time and was diagnosed with "medical ptsd."  This round, although it also involved sleeplessness, was less of the physical (no trembling or waking up screaming) and more of the emotional aspect.  The disconnect was far more intense than the first time.  I chalk this up to the different natures of the events -- one being an accident that was over in a few seconds and the other being a prolonged experience that, however necessary, was done deliberately.  It was very difficult to accept.

In any case, I was a wreck and had very little, if any, resilience.  I really credit the internet for helping me get through it and come out of it.  During that period, I lurked on the blogs almost entirely for the feeling of having company.  It was sort of like having other people around, but without the emotional risks of interacting in person.

Oh, and Bob, I obviously agree with the people downthread who'd like to read more of your writing on this.

Maybe we can eventually make language a complete impediment to understanding. -Hobbes

do you think that online community contributes to resilience like a real, physical, local community does?

See Izzy's response...but before she had posted I would have also said that I believe it can. Not for everyone, not always, but I would wager that a number of people besides Izzy have experienced a sense of connection through communication on ET. I definitely that I have. But I also believe that ET...in particular... is a unique online community, because people are willing to share more personal and emotional aspects of their lives. Like Jerome about his son, I have talked about stuff, Barbara (and Migeru) have shared a lot about their relationship...to name but a few...and I can think of many, many other examples in comments and diaries where people have shared very personal stuff about what have or are going through in their lives. That all said, I think this is really rather unique of the ET community, and it doesn't happen that often here...and maybe as we get larger we won't see as much of that. I don't know of any other blog that does what we do...only rarely other places. So yes, I do believe it can...specifically referring to ET. I think meetups are important because they deepen connections and the sense of community.

Do you think our meetups constitute [frequent] enough personal contact to make the community "more than virtual" for the purposes of building resilience?

I think here each person has to gauge their own experience. But I think quality of contact can be just as important as quantity...though quantity of contact is important, for certain.

Is something on the scale of Yearly Kos too large (though physical) to build an effective community for the purposes of resilience?

That's a really good question - and I would say that its pretty definite. In my research on helping communities in the aftermath of large disasters or wars, or even during ongoing social emergencies (like the HIV/AIDS pandemic), the efforts to stabilize and rebuild the communities is in fact working to do so through enhancing and supporting of existing resilience. And working to stabilize, support and encourage individuals resilience in turn feedback to the community. Its getting put into practice in a lot of places by the UN, by governments and by numerous NGOs around the world. So it is possible for Yearlykos to have that experience, yes...but I guess that's up to the individuals too.

My point is that I think we are having the effect of building resilience individually and collectively here, its just hard to say about other situations...

Anyway...I hope that moves the ball forward a bit...I will try to say more, as more comes to mind.

Half the population is under the age of 18. Tanzania's future is NOW...join the 50% campaign!

...4 Exemplaren auf Deutsch und 1 Exemplar auf Ungarisch. Wir bitten Sie, den ungarischen und eines der deutschen Exemplaren zu unterschreiben...

(In English, roughly: ...4 copies in German and 1 copy in Hungarian. We ask you to sign the Hungarian and one of the German copies...)

*Traitor*, n.
A benighted individual who perceives an illusory distinction between serving his nation and abetting the criminals who govern it.

Of course there are those who have inexplicably charmed lives, but most of us have to take some initiative when it comes to creating opportunities and gathering resources for ourselves.  In the same way, we can also opt out and cut ourselves off from possibilities, for whatever reason.  

One can be part of a community and not be aware of it or not actively or fully participate in it, and thus not reap all of the benefits of it.  But being open to it doesn't make a community magically appear either (like the nonsense in that Secret book about positive thinking.)  There has to be one in place or you have to go create one.  By "being open to it" I think I mean "being open to making that risky investment".

I can't speak for bob & what he meant by it.

"This is nothing compared to how Putin rigged Eurovision."

I just kept thinking 'get the fuck over it' and then felt guilty for being so harsh.  Some people have a mentality that prevents them from letting go of stuff and I think that type of community is counter productive, but I can see the good intentions behind their existence - mutual support etc.

I think being part of communities in their various forms has got me through some difficult times and the worst points in my life have been where I felt alone and didn't have anyone around me, in any way at all, even just to discuss the weather with.

But back to Migeru's point, I think some people are much more open to being part of a community and more open to social interaction, which then provides a distraction or support to deal with trauma.


Ad astra per aspera

But I don't know why I take that approach and some others don't, or can't. I don't think it was a conscious thing in me as a child but I was somehow very adaptable and strong and although I cried and felt everything and understood far more than I would have been given credit for, I still stood up at the end of it all and carried on. I don't know how.

Ad astra per aspera

If a person hasn't had to deal with much adversity at all, do they have much resilience to draw from?

I think sometimes people surprise themselves, in that if you'd said to them how would you react to going through [whatever] experience, they'd respond to say I couldn't cope with that, I'd fall apart.  And yet when you have to, often you find strength from somewhere.

But then I can immediately think of many people I know who have never had to deal with anything bad in their lives and they can't cope with the smallest of stresses, and expect somebody else to come in and sort their problems out for them.  Paris Hilton pops into my head right now.

People have often asked me how I've coped and I believe it is a case of you live or you don't - for me.  Perhaps one good thing for me was that the first few years of my life were very happy, not necessarily secure, but I had a lot of freedom and played a great deal and had friends around me. I had plenty of interactions with different people.  Thinking of the point Poemless made about hard-wiring brains, I think my early years must have hard-wired me in a positive way and my ability to play and be imaginative turned out to be an important technique in becoming so resilient.

You are very right in saying it is complex, and it always fascinates me how some people will fall one way and others to another extreme.

Ad astra per aspera