President of Üsküdar University, Chairman of the Board of NPİSTANBUL, and Psychiatrist Prof. Nevzat Tarhan stated that psychological resilience during times of crisis is a skill that can be learned and developed, saying: “Crises should be seen as a kind of resilience training. Every difficulty experienced is an opportunity for a person to recognize their inner strength.”
Prof. Nevzat Tarhan emphasized that, just like a device returning to its factory settings, individuals should also “refresh” themselves at regular intervals. He said: “This is the key to living life in a healthier, more productive, and more peaceful way. Our brain has the ability to program itself. Renewing ourselves actually means programming and updating ourselves.”
As part of World Mental Health Day, which is celebrated every year on October 10, the World Health Organization (WHO) has set this year’s theme as “Access to Services: Mental Health in Disasters and Emergencies.” The theme highlights the importance of individuals being able to protect their mental health and access support services during times of increasing global instability.
President of Üsküdar University, Chairman of the Board of NPİSTANBUL, and Psychiatrist Prof. Nevzat Tarhan shared his evaluations on psychological resilience during crises.
Psychological resilience in times of crisis
Prof. Nevzat Tarhan pointed out that the intensity of modern life leads people into mental fatigue and causes accumulations without them realizing it. He said: “One of the most harmful behaviors of our age is living an intense and routine life. People are caught up in a kind of social intensity, and this often goes unnoticed. They should pause, reflect, and restart.”
Emphasizing the importance of risk analysis in crisis management, Prof. Tarhan said: The most critical point in crisis management is being prepared for the crisis. If a person is prepared for a crisis, they manage it very easily. If not prepared, they panic. For example, one of the weakest aspects of Eastern societies is this: when a crisis occurs, we manage it, we save ourselves, but we are not sufficiently prepared to prevent the crisis from occurring in the first place. There is no risk analysis and risk management. Therefore, if you conduct risk analysis and risk management before a crisis, you manage that crisis well. This, of course, relates to becoming wiser.”
Prof. Nevzat Tarhan stated again that psychological resilience in times of crisis is a skill that can be learned and developed, adding: “Crises should be seen as a kind of resilience training. Every difficulty experienced is an opportunity for a person to recognize their inner strength.”
“From time to time, we should return to factory settings”
Prof. Nevzat Tarhan emphasized that, just like a device returning to its factory settings, individuals should also “refresh” themselves at regular intervals. He said: “This is the key to living life in a healthier, more productive, and more peaceful way. Manageable stress develops a person.”
Stating that human beings are the only creatures aware of their own existence and therefore endowed with free will, Prof. Tarhan explained that this free will gives people the responsibility to set goals, create future projections, and review strategies.
“Our brain has the ability to program itself. If we do not program ourselves, external events will program us. Renewing ourselves actually means programming and updating ourselves,” said Prof. Tarhan, emphasizing the importance of using life efficiently and leaving behind a meaningful legacy.
“People who live in the past cannot be happy and peaceful”
Prof. Nevzat Tarhan emphasized the importance of the philosophy of “living in the moment, not living for the moment,” and said: “People who live in the past with regrets or who carry excessive anxieties about the future cannot be peaceful. Under the weight of the words ‘if only’ and ‘what if,’ people are crushed. A peaceful person evaluates the past, draws lessons from it, looks at the future, makes plans, but lives today in peace with themselves. Therefore, the phrase ‘living in peace with oneself’ beautifully expresses the meaning of the word peace.”
Accepting and managing pain
Prof. Tarhan said: “Even in the worst environment, a person can manage to be at peace. Attaining peace is not about escaping from pain or negativity. It is about considering both the positive and the negative together, drawing lessons from them, and being able to take a step toward the positive.” He emphasized the importance of being resilient in the face of difficulties. He also stated that when a person attains their “ideal self,” they will find peace, and for this, they need to embark on an inner journey to know themselves.
‘Wellbeing’
Prof. Tarhan explained that peace is the ability to manage together both the “calming mood” in which the brain secretes serotonin and an active and secure emotional state. He noted that this is called “subjective well-being,” or in the literature, wellbeing. Prof. Tarhan stated that wellbeing is psychological comfort and goodness, and when combined with physical health, true peace emerges. He emphasized that “Acceptance is not surrender. You will accept the wrongs, but you will manage them,” highlighting that acceptance is the prerequisite for serenity and calmness.
“The measure of gratitude is contentment…”
Prof. Tarhan noted that peace is related to appreciating what one has and the sense of contentment that comes with sufficiency: “The measure of gratitude is contentment. A person who is content is truly grateful. To be able to find happiness in small things… When you achieve this, you fulfill the conceptual meaning of the sense of gratitude.” He added: “The sense of gratitude makes a person feel good and leads them to peace. Being aware of the basic blessings you have when you wake up in the morning, removing negative thoughts, and finding joy in routine things are the keys to attaining peace.”
Mental and emotional maturity
Prof. Tarhan emphasized that spiritual growth has two important pillars: mental and emotional maturity. He explained: “Mental maturity relates to aspects such as logic, reasoning, analysis, speech, and calculation, which are connected to academic success. Emotional maturity, on the other hand, is more about inner success. When these two proceed in balance, maturity emerges.”
He added that our education system measures mostly mental maturity, while behavioral and emotional maturity are often left incomplete.
“Maturity is something that is learned”
Prof. Tarhan stated that maturity is not related to age but is something learned and acquired through a process, saying: “Maturation is not a momentary state; it is a lifelong process. Therefore, maturation is not a destination, it is a journey.” Highlighting that the greatest characteristic of a mature person is learning from mistakes, Prof. Tarhan noted that intelligent people also learn from the mistakes of others and thus avoid making the same ones.
Sense of responsibility and the epidemic of narcissism
Emphasizing that people who think only of benefiting themselves are selfish, Prof. Tarhan underlined that individuals have responsibilities toward the society they live in, their families, their homeland, and their Creator. Criticizing how the capitalist system and existentialist philosophy drive people toward selfishness, Prof. Tarhan said: “Narcissism is becoming an epidemic. What causes this is the change in our life philosophy. For this reason, we must first correct ourselves and then our children.” Explaining that the purpose of life is not selfishness, the pursuit of pleasure, or being narcissistic, Prof. Tarhan added: “Mistakes are teachers, and criticism is a gift. Being open to criticism requires self-confidence and is a sign of maturity.”
A person matures not by aging, but by living
Prof. Tarhan emphasized that people mature not by aging but by living, and that they advance on this path by constantly improving themselves. He stated that one of the obstacles to maturation is a tendency to complain, and that people must learn to see the positive aspects. Prof. Tarhan concluded by saying: “Reason is a compass for us. However, it must be united with the heart. Reason cannot see everything. The distance reason can perceive is limited. However, if we also include emotions, then intuitive perceptions arise.” He emphasized the importance of being open to criticism and having a pluralistic and liberal perspective.