The phrase "what doesn't kill me makes me stronger" refers to which concept?

The phrase "what doesn't kill me makes me stronger" encapsulates the concept of resilience. Resilience refers to the ability to recover from adversity, trauma, or difficulty. It emphasizes the idea that facing challenges and overcoming them can lead to personal growth and increased strength, much like how physical stress can lead to greater physical fitness.

Resilient individuals often emerge from hardships with a newfound perspective and strength, allowing them to handle future challenges more effectively. This is reflected in the phrase as it highlights the transformative power of overcoming obstacles and how these experiences contribute to a person's overall development and adaptability in life situations.

In contrast, adaptability pertains to adjusting to new conditions, coping mechanisms refer to strategies people use to manage stress and emotions, and survival instinct is an innate tendency to preserve life. While these concepts are related to dealing with challenges, resilience specifically captures the essence of growth through hardship that the phrase conveys.