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Adaptability is a key notion in the social and anthropological representations of twenty-first century societies. Not only does it link to the theories of evolution, but it is also considered an obligation and/or an essential quality for individuals, groups, legal persons and institutions faced with the great contemporary uncertainties. Perceived as an essential soft skill, it is present in the normative apparatus of learning, production, and occupational integration. This article is based on a review of academic and professional literature on adaptability and compares a provisional theoretical model of the different dimensions of adaptability with data from the use of a digital platform set up by an association helping young people from disadvantaged backgrounds to achieve academic success and occupational integration. Our aim is to understand to what extent symbolic representations of adaptability are socially differentiated by the characteristics of individuals and experiences, and to make a sociological contribution to questioning the ethics of how capacity for adaptation is tested.