I really like the way Paul Graham characterizes the difference between persistence and obstinance in his essay The Right Kind of Stubborn. Persistence is like a boat that can’t throttle back—it keeps going and gets around obstacles in it’s path at great speed. Obstinance however, is like a boat whose rudders can’t be turned so it keeps going and doesn’t change course despite obstacles i it’s path.
The difference comes down to the ability to learn and adjust. Persistence is very powerful as long as the one who wields it makes changes as they go, finding paths around new problems they encounter along the way to their destination.
See also:
- It’s easy to question if your persistence is actually obstinance but being a better judge of early work inoculates you from skepticism
- Similarly, there is a fine line in science between skepticism and dogmatism
- Another way founders handle this is a controlled form of self-deception