9/1/2026

Why do hardship and pain drive some people to bitterness, and another person to unshakeable strength? Mental health professionals call this resilience. Although fortitude and resilience are not the same thing, they are closely related and often used together.

Dictionary.com defines “fortitude” as a mental and emotional strength in facing difficulty, adversity, danger, or temptation courageously.

“Resilience is how long you can endure a tricky situation,” wrote Hayden Boilini in an article on Linked-In. “Fortitude is whether you change it—and change it for the better. It involves the ability to remain steadfast, focused, and optimistic even in the face of difficulties or setbacks.”

As I dove further into what fortitude means and why it matters, fortitude helps us face pain, danger, or hard times without giving up. It includes inner strength that helps us stay calm and brave under pressure. Fortitude is linked to resilience. You can become resilient by enduring long and tough problems without losing hope. Having fortitude can give us a quiet resolve. It shows steady courage instead of anger and panic when we are in adverse situations.

There are times in the past that I have given up too soon. I admit I can get tripped up by emotions, and fall flat on my face. There are times that I have lacked mental toughness that was needed. Instead, I felt self-pity. I have not in the past had the emotional strength to pick myself up to start again. I would stall out. This is why, when I came across the word “fortitude,” it intrigued me. What can I learn from this?

Are you able to face difficult times without giving up? What do you do if you feel you lack fortitude?

In Stoicism, fortitude is synonymous with courage—known in Greek as andreia and in Latin as fortitude—and is defined as the deliberate endurance of hardship, danger, and pain in steadfast pursuit of virtue and reason.

Later, Catholicism defined fortitude as a moral virtue that provides mental and emotional strength to face difficulties, conquer fear, and do what is right, according to Cardinal Virtues: Fortitude.

Calm.com’s editorial staff outlined ways you can build that fortitude also known as mental toughness. According to Calm.com, building mental toughness is about developing resilience. Mental toughness can help us face challenges head-on. It can help us remain strong and determined, to not give up. It is learning to manage our emotions effectively, so we can remain calm and focused particularly when faced with pressure.

Developing mental toughness is a mixture of emotional resilience, confidence, adaptability, boundary setting and self-awareness noted the Calm editorial staff.

• Resilience is the ability to bounce back from setbacks, failures or disappointments.
• Confidence is about having realistic and positive view of your abilities. You can meet the challenges that will come your way.
• Boundary setting is recognizing what is best for your well-being and learning to say “no.”
• Adaptability means being open to change, new ideas, and adjusting your approach and thinking to different situations.
• Self-awareness means having a clear understanding of your strengths, weaknesses, emotions, and thoughts. This way you can navigate challenging situations with a clear mind.

According to Suzy Glaskie and Holly Bertone, there was a study on the mind/body/spirit of gratitude done by Psychology Today, that looked at the seven scientific, proven benefits of gratitude. One of the proven benefits of gratitude is that it increases your mental strength.

Mental strength is fortitude; therefore, gratitude builds fortitude stated Holly Bertone. When you practice gratitude, negative emotions cannot occupy the same space in your brain.

There is science behind this. According to Robert Emmons, Ph.D., who is a leading expert on gratitude and has conducted multiple studies on the link between gratitude and well-being. Gratitude increases happiness and reduces depression.  Additionally, a 2003 study in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology looked at gratitude as a major factor in resilience after the 9/11 terrorist attacks.

According to Calm.com editorial staff, one of the seven benefits of building mental toughness is fortitude in facing challenges:

“One of the most prominent benefits of mental toughness is the courage it provides in the face of challenges. Whether these are personal, professional, or unexpected life events, mental toughness can give you the strength to actively work through them.”

In the next few blogs posts, I will explore how we can become more mentally strong.

“Fortitude is the marshal of thought, the armor of the will, and the fort of reason.” — Francis Bacon

Resources:

Image by jcomp on Magnific. Retrieved on 9/1/2026 from https://www.magnific.com/free-photo/boy-raised-his-hand-sky-ask-rain-sunset_5469359.htm

Bertone, Holly.” How Gratitude Builds Fortitude During the Storms of Life.” Retrieved on 8/30/2026 from https://pinkfortitude.com/how-gratitude-builds-fortitude/

Boilini, Hayden. “Part 9: Fortitude Over Resilience.” 8/29/2025. Retrieved on 8/30/2026 from https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/part-9-favor-fortitude-over-resilience-hayden-boilini-iihle/

Calm.com Editorial Team. “How to build mental toughness: 10 Tips for mental Strength.” 2/14/2026. Retrieved on 8/22/2026 from https://www.calm.com/blog/mental-toughness

Glaskie, Suzy. “Why Gratitude Builds Fortitude.” Retrieved on 8/30/2026 from https://peppermintwellness.co.uk/why-gratitude-builds-fortitude/#

Guzman, Sam. “The Cardinal Virtues: Fortitude.” The Catholic Gentleman. 8/30/2013. Retrieved on 8/30/2026 from https://catholicgentleman.com/2013/08/the-cardinal-virtues-fortitude/

Sadler, Gregory. “Stoic Fortitude-On Failure and Failing-The Q&A”. 3/29/2023. Retrieved on 8/30/2026 from https://medium.com/practical-rationality/stoic-fortitude-on-failure-and-failing-the-q-a-fcbf822c3a02

Slattery, Jennifer. “7 Ways to Increase Our Resilience.” 2/8/2022. Retrieved on 8/30/2026 from https://www.ibelieve.com/career-calling/7-ways-to-increase-our-resilience.html