TL;DR
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A Bolde article lists nine possible signs that difficult experiences have changed a person, including greater appreciation of daily life, empathy, self-trust and openness to change. The article connects some points to research on post-traumatic growth, but the effects vary and are not guaranteed; it also says growth follows processing hardship, not pain alone.
Bolde has published a list of nine possible signs of personal growth after hardship, including feeling less rattled by minor setbacks, greater empathy and more trust in one’s own judgment. The article draws on research associated with post-traumatic growth, but presents these signs as possibilities rather than outcomes that follow every painful experience.
The article describes changes that may become noticeable after experiences such as bereavement, illness, betrayal or a major relationship breakdown. Its examples include a shift in priorities, a stronger sense of personal capability, more attention to other people’s emotions and greater honesty in close relationships. It also names faster recovery from later setbacks, willingness to change direction, savoring positive moments and confidence in making difficult decisions.
Bolde links several points to research and researchers. It cites psychologist Richard Tedeschi of UNC Charlotte on appreciation of life as one area associated with post-traumatic growth. It also refers to work by David Greenberg at the University of Cambridge on childhood trauma and empathy, and research by Alyssa Croft at the University of British Columbia on hardship and savoring. The supplied article does not provide study titles, publication dates, sample sizes or links to the underlying research.
The report makes an important qualification about its account of savoring: it says growth is connected to having emotionally processed hardship, not simply to having experienced pain. Its broader framing is that difficult events can change how someone relates to everyday frustrations, relationships and future choices, while stopping short of establishing that everyone will experience these changes.
How Hardship May Change Priorities
The list gives readers a vocabulary for noticing changes that can be difficult to recognize while recovering from a crisis. A person may find that a past experience has altered what they value, how directly they communicate or how much they rely on their own decisions. These are possible signs of adaptation, not a measure of whether someone has recovered correctly.
The distinction matters because describing hardship as a route to improvement can unintentionally suggest that suffering is necessary or beneficial for everyone. The article’s own caveat about processing points to a more limited claim: some people report positive changes after adversity, but pain itself does not guarantee them. A reader who does not identify with the list has not failed to grow, and recognizing growth does not erase the harm that occurred.
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The Research Behind the List
Post-traumatic growth is the term the article uses for reported positive changes after a crisis. Bolde attributes several ideas to researchers, including Tedeschi’s work on appreciation of life and personal strength. It also describes Greenberg’s research as finding elevated affective empathy among adults who experienced childhood trauma, and Croft’s research as linking processed hardship with a greater capacity to savor positive experiences.
Those references are presented in summary form in the supplied material. Without the underlying studies and their methods, readers cannot judge how broadly the findings apply or whether they support each example as phrased. The article also mentions research associating moderate lifetime adversity with mental-health outcomes, but does not provide a study citation or numerical results. That claim should not be read as evidence that adversity is protective in every case.
““Appreciation of life””
— Richard Tedeschi, psychologist at UNC Charlotte, as cited by Bolde
What the Evidence Cannot Establish
The supplied article does not include direct links to the studies it references, full citations, methods or details about the participants. It is therefore not possible from this material alone to verify the scope of each finding or how closely it supports the article’s nine examples. The report also does not establish how common these changes are, how long they take to emerge or which kinds of support may help.
Most importantly, the list does not show that hardship reliably makes people better off. Responses differ, and adversity can bring lasting distress as well as change. Bolde’s examples should be understood as observations to reflect on, not a clinical assessment, a prediction or a requirement for recovery.
Checking the Underlying Studies
The next step for readers seeking to evaluate the claims is to consult the original studies and researchers’ publications, which are not identified in detail in the supplied report. That would clarify the research designs, measures and limits behind the claims about empathy, savoring and post-traumatic growth. Bolde’s article itself does not announce a follow-up or provide a next publication milestone.
Key Questions
What are the nine signs listed in the article?
Bolde describes being less rattled by minor problems, recognizing personal strength, feeling more empathy, being more open in relationships, recovering differently from setbacks, changing life direction, savoring good moments and trusting one’s judgment. The article’s numbered list includes these themes, though the supplied source text cuts off during its final point about self-trust.
Does hardship always lead to personal growth?
No. The article presents growth as a possible outcome, not a guaranteed one. It also says that positive changes follow emotional processing rather than pain alone.
What does post-traumatic growth mean here?
It refers to reported positive changes after a crisis, such as a greater appreciation of life or a stronger sense of personal capability. The term does not mean the crisis was beneficial or that its effects have disappeared.
Can this list determine whether someone has recovered?
No. The signs are examples in a general-interest article, not a diagnostic tool or a clinical measure. People respond to difficult experiences in different ways, and not identifying with the list does not establish that someone has or has not recovered.
Source: bolde.com
