"Nothing in this world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent."
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President Calvin Coolidge
I wish that I knew of this quote earlier in my life because I could have learned this valuable lesson much sooner. The 30th president of the United States is known for his quiet and thoughtful demeanor and although many things in this world have changed since he was first inaugurated over 100 years ago in 1923, this line is true today as when he first said it. But what is persistence and how does one become persistent? Why does the act of being persistent outrank education or talent? What is persistence exactly?
Persistence, by definition is the act of "continuing to try to do something even when it is very hard. It also means when an effect, thing, or condition lasts for a long time without stopping." The act of determination is often celebrated when major milestones are achieved but, when it comes down to it, persistence is a mundane and boring act of repetition and a bit of stubbornness that is overshadowed by intelligence and talent.
The movie Rocky is a fitting example of persistence. Rocky is not a smart man but has real talent. What separates him from others is his willingness to endure hardship and to continue after every setback. His ability to take a hit and keep getting up is the clear visualization of his strength of character as the rounds get higher and higher. Although he loses the match by decision, by giving it all, Rocky comes out the winner for himself. Watching Rocky step into the ring with Apollo after years of relative obscurity, ready to face the hardest challenge of his life before the entire nation, still makes my heart beat faster every time I see it - of course with the final scene where he cries out "Adrian"! Rocky is able to maximize his talent through pure determination of will. He is able to win because he proves to himself what he is capable of doing.
Doing the hard thing is of course, hard. Human nature is often times not conditioned to do 'hard things'. We seek comfort and luxury. Las Vegas was built on pleasure of the senses it purest forms after all. It is in our nature to take the easy path, much like water seeping down a hill forming a stream; the path of least resistance. This is what Rocky did for the first part of the movie - just getting by being the muscle for the loan shark. Living a simple life by himself with his turtles - but it is clear that he wanted more for himself. Escaping the easy path takes time, effort and values that will guide through the worst of storms.
What if there is no easy path? No way to escape? That is the scenario Andy Dufresne found himself in the movie, "The Shawshank Redemption", where pure determination is what eventually granted him freedom by the end of the movie. Persistence was the character that drove him to chip away at his tunnel for 19 years! How was he able to persist that long with that much hope in his heart. Andy must have had the long term view of the unjust world and his place in it. He was restricted by being physically detained and saw a way out. While others were content with their lot in life behind the prison walls, Andy secretly got to work when nobody was looking.
These are examples found in movies, but the inspiration for persistence can be found in real life too. None other than the sixteenth president of the United States, Abraham Lincoln had a drive that is worthy of Andy Dufresne. His story doesn't start during the Civil War, and not even as president. Abraham Lincoln's persistence was happening well before his inauguration. Before becoming president, Abraham Lincoln failed in business, lost multiple elections, suffered the loss of his fiancee' and had endless political defeats. He had a long list of failures spanning 27 years.These setbacks did not stop him. Just as Rocky got knocked down, and got back up again, so did Lincoln. He taught himself law, obtained his law license and was able to build himself out of financial hardship. He threw himself in to his work to push through his depression and even embraced dark humor. He was refining his thoughts and learning from debates on the issues of the time, especially the big one - slavery.
Not surprisingly, the ancient Stoics had some thoughts on this. Simply put they believed that persistence is doing the hard thing, long term despite obstacles knowing that it is the right thing to do. The key part is the last phrase, "the right thing to do" - Epictetus, the famous Stoic philosopher and teacher is known to have said, "Two words will ensure a blameless and untroubled life: persist and resist." For Epictetus, internal conflict will be removed if one could endure external hardships (persist), living life with character and letting your values guide you when life becomes painful and difficult. The resist part is to have resilience to refuse easy gratification which can pull you away from your goals and living to your fullest potential.
All this might sound academic in theory, but can this be accomplished in practice in the real world? I believe it can. There was a time in my life which brought illness and death to my loved ones. The future looked bleak. How did I manage this? Not very well - the death of my parents shook me for many years. Much like Lincoln, I became depressed and unable to focus on the reality of the situation. I did not have control of my parent's health but I felt like I did. I had years of guilt on what I should have done better. I even thought that I could have delayed their eventual demise. This sounds all very irrational now but I truly believed that.I also had plenty of distractions which helped me avoid facing the truth. These distractions delayed my personal growth and understanding.
Through trial and error, I began to understand that I had to keep moving forward, and not focus on the past. The past could not be changed. I had to find ways to focus on the present moment - to do what was needed to be done and live my values in the best way possible. I had to forge on. The Stoics had the answer I was looking for that brought everything in to clear view, but it took years of listening to podcasts, reading books on the ancient Stoics and reading the source material. This is why this website exists. This is why I believe persistence is one of the greatest qualities one can embrace to enhance your life.
Looking back, I better understand what Coolidge meant. It was not talent, education or intelligence that carried me through those years. It was the determination to move forward. In a world where it feels like we have very little control, what are areas that you can take ownership and to persist against the odds? The choice is yours.
Until next time,
Musonius
"if anyone would take these two words to heart and use them for his own guidance and regulation, he will be almost without sin and will lead a very peaceful life. These two words, he said;are anexou (bear) and apechou (forbear)."
- Attic Nights Book 17, Chapter 19 by Aulus Gellius found here