Persistence vs. Stubbornness: When to Keep Going or Change Course
TL;DR Persistence and stubbornness can look surprisingly similar, but they are not the same. Persistence means staying committed to a meaningful goal while remaining willing to change your strategy. Stubbornness means holding tightly to a particular method, opinion, or plan even when evidence suggests it is no longer working. Healthy persistence allows you to learn, adapt, accept feedback, and keep moving forward. Stubbornness can cause you to repeat ineffective behaviors simply because you have already invested time, money, effort, or pride into them. When you are unsure whether to keep going or change direction, separate the goal from the method. Ask whether the goal still matters, review the evidence, consider feedback, try a reasonable adjustment, and set a time to reassess. You do not have to give up simply because…








