Stubbornness And Steadfastness: How Do They Differ?
Stubbornness and steadfastness are like coal and diamonds. The first refers to rigid and inflexible postures, while the second is associated with beliefs. The fundamental difference is that stubbornness does not listen to reason, while firmness does listen to it. Likewise, while one is based on feelings, the other is based on arguments.
In principle, stubbornness can even be a virtue. This stubbornness is sometimes necessary to achieve goals that cannot be achieved in the early years of significant change. It is also valid when it comes to upholding principles or resisting adversity. The problem begins when deafness and blindness arise in the face of facts, ideas or realities that question the validity of these causes. This is when you see the difference between stubbornness and steadfastness.
Firmness, on the other hand, is the product of a thought process, fundamentally. Of course, there are also desires and passions, but these remain subordinate to reason. This open-mindedness is what makes a big difference between stubbornness and steadfastness. However, what are the other factors that define the contrast between one and the other? Find out more in the rest of this article.
Characteristics of stubbornness
Stubbornness is made up of several levels. It can take the form of a whim, very typical of younger children, in which the only thing that prevails is the desire for something, the desire itself. Although this is characteristic of the infantile stage, it is not uncommon to find such behaviors in adults. There are also old people who have temper tantrums.
A second level of stubbornness is characterized by what we call “being stubborn”. In people who are, there is an idea or a fixed goal and there is not enough human power to change their mind. They do not support their position, but refuse to listen to any reason that contradicts them. These people reject the arguments against it, without providing a relevant counterbalance. They don’t listen, that’s all.
The highest level of stubbornness appears in obsessions. In the latter, we find an extreme passion for a certain reality, physical or mental. They can lead to fanaticism and sometimes to psychological disorder. Common sense disappears, at least when it comes to a certain idea or a certain goal. Not only is no reason heard, but the person ends up being completely overrun with specific content.
The characteristics of firmness
Steadfastness or determination is the ability to be consistent with a particular idea, goal, feeling, or reality. It is the fruit of a previous process which is done consciously. It involves reasoning, evaluation and conclusions. We are firm because we have concluded that faced with a certain aspect, we must be firm.
One of the big differences between stubbornness and firmness is that the latter remains open to new content. Just because a firm decision has been made or because there is a great determination to do or achieve something does not mean that it is absolutely irrevocable. Eventually, you can change direction, if the reality warrants it.
To be firm, it takes willpower, conviction and perseverance. There is a desire, of course, but not only. The cognitive and volitional elements also contribute to it. The person owns his convictions and not the other way around.
Stubbornness and firmness, two opposing poles
If steadfastness is a virtue, stubbornness is a problem. Since the line separating one from the other is sometimes not very clear, it is not uncommon to see some people brag about their stubbornness. They pass it off as a test of determination or a test of strength of character, when in fact it is the opposite.
The stubborn refuses to listen because he is suspicious of what he handles. He does not test what he thinks, because he is afraid of not being supported. While steadfastness is based on judgment, stubbornness is based on prejudice. And because they are despicable, they never submit to logical tests.
Stubbornness stagnates and isolates. It also blocks communication. This is not typical of strong minds, but fearful minds, which take refuge in fixed ideas to protect themselves from the uncertainty and change that govern reality. Stubbornness and firmness are made of the same material, but they represent two opposite levels of evolution.
Our thoughts How to succeed in taking control of these obsessive thoughts that spoil our lives to no longer depend on them?
