Stephan 1: Stubbornness

Stubbornness is a characteristic that we all experience daily, yet we sometimes fail to notice. It’s odd how it can change our views and causes us to get in our own way, leading to grudges and petty arguments with no end in sight. This can eventually lead to isolation and damaged relationships if we don’t keep this stubbornness in check.

When observing situations, I find it interesting how stubbornness can take over an argument. For example, some of my friends recently got into a petty argument over time management skills. Both of them were pressed for time and couldn’t really do any work. The argument stemmed from person A accusing the other of having poor time management skills, as person B did not finish their work in time while person A did. Person B became stubborn and failed to recognize their faults.

This caused them to deflect their blame onto others, and not take responsibility for their own issues. In this situation, they both ended up attacking each other and failed to consider each other’s opinions. At the same time, each person is hurting themselves because they are not taking responsibility for their shortcomings.

I find it funny that I can see and understand the damage that stubbornness can create in others, yet I fail to recognize the stubbornness in myself. Whenever I look back on the silly arguments I’ve had with my brothers, I realize that many of our disagreements could have been easily solved if we just took each other’s opinions into account. In the end, I need to make a concerted effort to be open to other ideas and listen, no matter how I feel.