The illusion that the ability to persist is always a virtue has caused people to stay in relationships with people they don’t respect, put up with jobs they hate, and generally just continue to perform the same painful action over and over again, in hopes that it will be better someday.
Not surprisingly, it almost never gets better.
That’s when people turn hopeless and bitter.
If you don’t have the courage to admit defeat and retreat to a better situation, then real life, for you, is over.
So how does one know if they’re pursuing a lost cause, or they’re struggling through a tough time? ‘
Think about persistence as mindlessly pursuing a cause for the sake of pursuit and for no other end goal. Think telemarketer, debt collector, and reporters.
Also, if you’re doing something with the expectation that ‘this next time’ will finally be the time you get what you want, that’s probably persistence.
On the other hand, the challenges when you persevere aren’t usually constant or repetitive.
There’s always a different obstacle or problem that you need to overcome to get to your final destination.
When you persevere, you’re not stubborn or illogically resolute; you’re calm, steady, and strong.You look opposition in the face and smile with grim determination as you plow right through it.
Trust Your Internal Compass
This isn’t to say that persistence is always harmful.
While it can often have a negative connotation, it can also benefit you if you use it consciously.
In the end, it’s about learning to trust your gut and your intuition so you can make decisions based on unique circumstances.
The main thing is that persistence has a time limit, whereas perseverance does not.
People have dedicated their entire life to a cause they believe in even when it seems hopeless; even when they’re hit with obstacle after obstacle.
“Perseverance is not a long race; it is many short races one after the other.”
– Walter Elliot
