Na-na-na-na… I can’t hear you.
Yes, stubborn people can be very annoying and childish, because they are not willing to bend on their views even in the presence of opposing evidence. No matter how you hard you try to convince them otherwise, they may stay as stubborn as a mule, refusing to budge or to move.
Stubbornness is obviously not very desirable when it comes to people skills, but ironically enough, it could be one of the keys to success. In fact, you could say that stubbornness and success go hand in hand.
This isn’t to say that all stubborn people are successful. In fact, most stubborn people probably achieve very little success in their lives, because they hold on to the wrong ideas. However, some of the most successful people in the world are remarkably stubborn. Steve Jobs and Bill Gates both stuck to their guns, even when the market tried to convince them otherwise. I think we’d all agree that both Steve and Bill have done quite well for themselves. They were willing to take a chance, even if it meant risking monumental failure.
Earlier this week, we were presented with one image of success courtesy of Wayne Gretzky, teaching us to anticipate rather than react, but stubbornness could be another key. You have to remember that another way to say that someone is stubborn is to say that they are determined. That sounds much more positive, doesn’t it?
All you need is the right attitude. You have to know when to stick it out during the tough times, because nothing ever goes exactly as planned. Speaking for myself, my parents didn’t think that freelance writing was the best career choice. They didn’t think it was stable, reliable, or profitable. Despite this, I kept on trucking and can proudly say that my career as a freelance writer satisfies all three of those criteria.
Remember that being stubborn (or “determined”) is not enough. Sticking to your guns is one thing, but it’s another thing altogether to actually put your money where your mouth is. Take action, because the onus is on you to prove the naysayers wrong. Just make sure you have the right map, otherwise your stubbornness will lead to a massive and prolonged failure.
yeah.. you did a great job michael.. you are the only one freelance writer for johnchow blog.. right ?
John has some guest bloggers on there from time to time, but to my knowledge, they’re not getting paid to post there.
Stubborn can also be looked at as unbending and one minded. While it may be good at some point, it is not a good tactic to use all the time. You have to know when to be hard and when to be soft.
Sound like I’m describing Tai Chi or Yin/Yang or the teachings of Sun Tzu?
I have to disagree with your statement of “stubbornness and success go hand in hand.”
I would say determination, rather than stubborness, is one of the key to success.
Determination and Stubborness are not one and the same.