Resilience is the key to success in everything – to a degree few realise. Too often, people just take it as read that they’re no good at, say, maths, and stop trying. But studies have shown that “the architecture of the brain actually changes if we stick at things”. Practice develops skills. In concert pianists, the part of the brain involved in finger movement is unusually large. But pianists aren’t born that way; it’s the product of years of hard work. Likewise, studies have shown that what marks out most great entrepreneurs is less a God-given talent than a dogged ability to learn from their many mistakes. (Matthew Syed, the Times, London).

Good, but I would add the word “determination”. Resilience implies setbacks, and those we all have. But having bounced back you have to have determination to succeed.

I used to run a company whose future was threatened by the advent of computers. It is still in business twenty five years later, but it took determination to steer it through the changes. This was greatly assisted by the fact that neither I nor the other middle aged people would, in all probability, find jobs were the company to fail. Surprising what you can do with a sword dangling over your head!

Resilience and determination are prized, not only in ancient Epicureanism, but in all philosophies, religions and cultures.