The Persistence Paradox
Successful people tend to be persistent. New ideas often don't work at first, but they're not deterred. They keep trying and eventually find something that does.
Mere obstinacy, on the other hand, is a recipe for failure. Obstinate people are so annoying. They won't listen. They beat their heads against a wall and get nowhere.
But is there any real difference between these two cases? Are persistent and obstinate people actually behaving differently? Or are they doing the same thing, and we just label them later as persistent or obstinate depending on whether they turned out to be right or not?
The Behavioral Distinction
Through conversations with many determined people, a clear distinction emerges. There's something fundamentally different about how the persistent versus the obstinate approach problems and feedback.
Key Distinction
The persistent are attached to the goal. The obstinate are attached to their ideas about how to reach it.
The persistent engage intensely with disagreement - they want to find holes in their reasoning. The obstinate glaze over when confronted with problems, responding like ideologues discussing doctrine.
The Mechanical Difference
The persistent and obstinate seem similar because they're both hard to stop, but for different reasons:
The Persistent
- Like boats whose engines can't be throttled back
- Attached to goals high in the decision tree
- Flexible on implementation details
- Engage deeply with criticism
The Obstinate
- Like boats whose rudders can't be turned
- Attached to specific solutions
- Rigid on implementation details
- Resist or ignore criticism
The Anatomy of Persistence
True persistence requires five distinct qualities that work in concert:
Energy
Sustained drive and motivation to keep trying different approaches
Imagination
Ability to generate new ideas and alternative solutions when faced with obstacles
Resilience
Capacity to bounce back from setbacks without having morale destroyed
Good Judgement
Rational evaluation of expected value and willingness to change course when evidence demands
Goal Focus
Clear direction that motivates while allowing flexibility in approach
The Role of Obstinacy
Obstinacy isn't entirely useless - it serves as a primitive form of persistence. Like anaerobic respiration in biology, it's a simpler, more primitive process that has its uses:
- Prevents panic: An initial unthinking "I won't give up" reaction can be valuable
- Works for simple problems: When there's only one solution path, obstinacy can succeed
- Accessible to all: Unlike persistence, obstinacy requires no special qualities
However, the optimal amount of obstinacy is not zero, but it becomes increasingly counterproductive as problems grow more complex.
Connecting to Will to Stupidity
This distinction between persistence and obstinacy beautifully complements Nietzsche's "will to stupidity." Both concepts address when to stop thinking and start acting, but from different angles:
Philosophical Connection
The "will to stupidity" describes the tactical suspension of critical thinking to enable action. The "right kind of stubborn" describes the strategic framework for when such suspension is wise versus when it's mere obstinacy.
Persistence embodies the intelligent application of the will to stupidity - knowing when to stop debating and start building, while remaining open to changing the building plans.
Practical Implications
To cultivate the right kind of stubbornness:
Attach to Goals, Not Methods
Be fiercely committed to your objectives but flexible about how you achieve them.
Seek Disagreement
Actively solicit criticism and engage with it deeply to find potential flaws.
Develop Multiple Qualities
Cultivate energy, imagination, resilience, judgement, and focus together.
Start Small, Then Expand
Begin with specific goals and broaden them as you gain momentum and insight.
Conclusion
The distinction between persistence and obstinacy reveals why some determined people succeed spectacularly while others fail stubbornly. Persistence isn't mere refusal to quit - it's a sophisticated combination of energy, imagination, resilience, judgement, and focus.
While obstinacy is simple and accessible to anyone, true persistence is rare and magical in its results. It represents the intelligent application of determination - the right kind of stubborn that builds rather than breaks, that adapts rather than resists, and that ultimately creates what mere obstinacy could never imagine.
Related Concepts
Source & Footnotes
Graham, Paul. "Persistence." paulgraham.com. Retrieved from https://www.paulgraham.com/persistence.html
[1] Using "persistent" for good stubbornness and "obstinate" for bad stubbornness.
[2] Obstinacy can work in politics but fails where external tests matter.
[3] The mechanical distinction: persistent = unstoppable engine, obstinate = unmovable rudder.
[4] Obstinacy sometimes succeeds through luck or when canceling other errors.
[5] Energy + imagination alone creates the artist stereotype.
[6] Start with specific goals and expand outward.