Psychologist: Frustration is a Key Weapon for Learning and Resilience

Psychologist María Jesús Álava asserts that frustration, often perceived negatively, is a vital "weapon" for learning and building essential life skills. She notes with alarm that many young adults, aged 18 to 30, are seeking psychological support because they lack the tools to handle life's challenges.

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What do you do when you overprotect a child? You take away their opportunities to experience, to get frustrated. A child has to get frustrated to be able to learn and generate resources. Frustration is one of the greatest weapons we have.

Álava argues that allowing children to experience frustration is key to their development. "A child has to get frustrated to be able to learn and generate resources," she explains. Without this experience, she warns, they will struggle when faced with difficult situations or when they are alone.

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Knowing how to get frustrated is the right path.

She encourages reframing frustration not as a negative emotion but as a driver of emotional intelligence. True intelligence, Álava contends, lies not in accumulated knowledge or academic achievements but in developing the skills and resources to navigate life wisely. This includes fostering self-awareness, self-love, and self-forgiveness.

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It is the key to intelligence.

"As parents, we have to teach our children how to live," Álava states, urging adults to support children through their frustrating experiences. She believes that embracing frustration makes individuals more human, fostering sensitivity, a sense of justice, and intelligence. By learning to manage these emotions, people become better equipped to face life's inevitable ups and downs with stability.

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As parents, we have to teach our children how to live.