Societal resilience is a multifaceted concept that reflects a society’s ability to manage, adapt, and transform when faced with challenges. Although widely discussed in academic, expert, and policy circles, as well as in the public sphere, the components of societal resilience are often interpreted in diverse ways depending on the specific context. As a result, measuring societal resilience is not a one-size-fits-all framework. This article identifies the societal resilience elements essential for small states as they develop comprehensive or total defense models. To assess societal resilience as a component of national defense power, especially within small-state comprehensive or total defense models, it is crucial to distinguish between designed resilience (state-driven preparedness efforts) and learned resilience (community-based, trust- and memory-driven adaptability). Key attributes such as horizontal cooperation, volunteerism, and autonomous self-organization serve as core indicators of a society’s capacity to function independently in times of existential threat. Evaluation of societal resilience must be phase-specific, reflecting different needs and capacities in peacetime, crisis onset, military conflict, and occupation.