We are often told that being ‘stubborn’ is bad and being flexible is ‘good’. Why is this?
Being stubborn means– “How dare you not obey me?”
And being flexible means:
I am so happy that you obeyed me and were obedient to me.
Stubbornness will only be seen as a virtue faaaar later than you’ve achieved ‘success’
For example, Steve Jobs was infamously stubborn during his tenure at Apple, and in creating Apple. Only looooong after his death now that we are seeing the upside and the benefit of his artistic vision of ‘closed’ systems (at the time it was seen as heresy). Steve Wozniak wanted the original Apple to be open just like the PC-counterparts of the time, but it seems that Steve Jobs was ultimately ‘right’ in the long-term. And this is probably why Steve Wozniak will not be remembered into the future as a great innovator while Steve Jobs will be remembered as a great innovator.
My trick
My trick is this:
When someone offers a certain suggestion or idea to me, I try it at least once (or sometimes twice). Then if it doesn’t work for me, or I see it as against my own taste, then I stay stubborn to my own ways.
Thus ultimately, stubbornness is our new virtue!
ERIC
ETHICS by KIM
Your Own Personal Code of Ethics
- ETHICS ARE VIA NEGATIVA
- OBEDIENCE & DISCIPLINE
- The Motive of Criticism
- Ethics are Social
- Anti Role Models
- What is Greed?
- On Having the Courage to Make Your Own Decisions
- How *NOT* to Get Duped or Suckered
- Why Help Others?
- The Duty of the Strong
- Why I’m So Intolerant Towards Intolerance
- The Ethics of Criticizing Others
- Consult Your Own Conscience
- The Ethics of Shit Talking
- The Ethics of Personal Enrichment
- I’m Easily Distracted
- On Forming Your Own Opinion
- ERIC KIM Philosophy of Tolerance
- Tolerance
- Aesthetics are Ethics
- Morality and Ethics