Successful learners manage negative emotions and persevere through difficult times by demonstrating a high level of resilience. At RSVP Design, we aim to make learning a joyful and stimulating process and the feeling of having achieved something worthwhile brings its own rewards. However, we also know that learning can be a stressful experience, associated with a whole raft of negative emotions, self-doubts and frustrations.

I am using the term resilience to mean the ability to overcome adversity and obstacles. Learning is a risky undertaking. It risks failure and can incite criticism and lack of acceptance from peers, perhaps with a backlash from those who believe new learning negates previous beliefs and accepted practices. And sometimes learning is just plain difficult, making self-discipline hard unless there are powerful motivational forces driving us on. So how do we help learners of all ages to become more resilient, more able to persist with problems and with a higher tolerance for not knowing? 

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