From Surviving to Thriving: The Beethoven Factor

For decades, developmental researchers have examined whether or not human temperament, one's disposition and response to the environment, is a function of heredity. They observed their subjects from birth, through parental-infant interactions, to adulthood. As early as the neonatal period, 3 patterns of normal temperament styles surfaced: the easy, the slow-to-warm-up, and the difficult temperaments. 1 One of the key findings in this earlier research is that parents' acceptance of the unique temperament of their babies is key to the development of healthy, well-adjusted adults.

Fast-forward 30 years to the scientific community's current interest in whether or not "psychological immunity" exists as an interdependent counterpart to physical immunity. Pearsall 2 classifies certain individuals as "thrivers," who don't merely survive or cope, they thrive in the face of adversity and reach new heights. Pearsall calls this thriving ability the Beethoven Factor, named for the composer whose early deafness at age 31 didn't deter him from creating the most beautiful music well into his senior years. Thrivers consistently apply 3 rules as they move through life. First, if they are depressed, anxious, angry, or fearful, they don't allow themselves to be ruled by negative emotions. Second, thrivers understand the yin and yang of emotions. In other words, waiting on the other side of every strong negative emotion is a positive one that will eventually materialize. Finally, thrivers learn from their pain and grow stronger, or as in Beethoven's case, more creative and productive.

Might we someday stroll through a newborn nursery and identify those most likely to be thrivers? Probably not. Science has only begun to reveal the complex interplay of genetics and environment in influencing behavior and producing what's currently called psychological immunity. But it's never too early in human development to look for resilience and hardiness as well as enhance it in whatever ways possible.

Pearsall claims that the psychological and physiological immune systems employ 4 mechanisms working in tandem to protect and strengthen the individual: (1) psychological immunization, (2) rapid rebound, (3) hardiness, and (4) lowered expectations. Psychological immunization refers to the strength one can realize from experiencing trauma or adversity. Rapid rebound is one's ability to recover more quickly once they find meaning in a negative experience. Hardiness refers to the ability of an individual to accept life's challenges and learn and translate the experiences into greater wisdom or creative productivity. Finally, thrivers can selectively lower their expectations of themselves, others, and of life to promote personal healing. In all of Pearsall's discoveries about thrivers, the most striking is their psychological flexibility and use of perspectivism. They go with the flow and move easily outside their comfort zones.

We read a great deal about the challenges nurses encounter amidst shortages in the current healthcare system. The current scene is fraught with opportunity to develop into a thriving profession, learning and growing stronger in the face of adversity.

Holistic modalities targeted to mind or body help us to stay grounded, focus on what's important, and make meaning out of even life's most challenging experiences. Thriving nurses are those who stay calm, get unstuck, and move out of their comfort zones to higher levels of thinking.

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