Stubbornness gets a bad reputation. We think of it as inflexibility, pig-headedness, an inability to see reason. We tell stubborn people to be more open-minded, more willing to change, more adaptable.
But what if stubbornness, channelled correctly, is actually a superpower?
Functional Stubbornness
I call it "functional stubbornness"—determination and persistence directed wisely toward a goal that matters. Not blind refusal to change, but committed refusal to give up.
The difference between destructive stubbornness and functional stubbornness isn't the intensity of the persistence. It's the target. What are you being stubborn about, and why?
There's a story about a farmer whose prized cow developed a severe udder infection. The veterinarian examined the animal and said euthanasia was the only option. The infection was too far gone.
The farmer refused. He asked if there was anything else to try. The vet reluctantly mentioned a cream, but cautioned it wouldn't work for something this severe. "Put on as much as you can," he said dismissively.
The farmer took this literally. He applied the cream continuously for 48 hours straight. The infection cleared completely—an outcome the vet had considered impossible.
Sometimes the impossible is simply the untried. Functional stubbornness means refusing to accept limitations that haven't been properly tested.
A Personal Example
When I was younger, I had asthma. Research at the time suggested swimming had minimal benefits for asthma sufferers. The evidence wasn't encouraging.
I decided to try anyway. I committed to swimming one hour daily, six days a week, for over nine months.
Result: my lung function improved by over 60%. That's a massive improvement—one I've maintained for years, despite discontinuing the intensive swimming long ago.
Was this stubborn? Absolutely. The research said it probably wouldn't work. But research describes averages, not possibilities. And functional stubbornness isn't about following averages.
The Crucial Caveat
A Word of Caution
Functional stubbornness requires wisdom. Flapping your arms won't enable flight, no matter how long you persist. Before committing extensive effort, evaluate whether the goal is realistically achievable and whether the risk-benefit ratio makes sense.
The question isn't "should I be stubborn?" The question is "what am I being stubborn about, and does it deserve that level of commitment?"
Stubbornness directed at something impossible wastes energy. Stubbornness directed at something merely difficult—something that experts have dismissed but haven't truly tested—can produce extraordinary results.
Flipping the Script
Maybe you've spent years seeing your stubbornness as a flaw. Maybe people have told you to be more flexible, more accepting of limitations, more willing to take "no" for an answer.
Consider the possibility that they were wrong. Not about everything—there are times when flexibility is wise. But perhaps about the fundamental nature of what you're carrying.
Stubbornness isn't a bug. It might be your most underutilised feature.