Who's mental? Who's tough and who's both? Mutton constructs dressed up as lamb

Abstract

In Australia, we use the phrase 'mutton dresssed up as lamb' to describe an older man or woman who acts and dresses as if they were younger, newer and fresher than they actually are. Much of the mental toughness literature, and some in particular (e.g. Clough et al., 2002), appears to contain ideas and constructs (e.g. hardiness, resilience) that have been around for decades but are now repackaged or re-dressed into something that, on the surface, looks new but is probably not as fresh as its champions suggest.