Bugger Off

It’s come up recently that I am on the upper echelon of the “world’s most stubborn” list. And of course, you know how I feel about these things… proud. It’s an interesting topic because many people who know me wouldn’t imagine that I’d have that reputation. It’s unusual for me to be particularly willful, because I’m pretty agreeable about most things.

That should really be one of the determining factors on these official lists. When push comes to shove I’m a force to be reckoned with. And the more willful someone gets with me, the more unmovable I become. It almost becomes a competition, and one that I never have to lose. And since I hate losing far more than I enjoy winning, I rarely lose.

Should that qualify me as stubborn? If I make a decision I stand by it there ain’t a whole lot you can do about it. If I don’t want to do something, there’s a strong probability I won’t. These all seem pretty logical steps for the human condition. But as I’ve said, I’m also mostly agreeable, so the whole “stubborn” thing doesn’t come up that often. I don’t need to have my way all the time, and it’s extremely rare for me to try to influence other people. I simply don’t care what you’re doing enough to bother. Is standing by a decision stubbornness or honesty? We could call it conviction.

We all know stubborn people, but I think we should separate the “I won’t do what I don’t want to” and the “you better do what I want you to” crowds. They can both be obnoxious, but the people who try to force everyone to bend to their will seem far more stubborn to me. And are assholes.

The way I figure, the people who think I’m stubborn have stood against me, and are mostly from the “do what I want” variety of stubborn people. They find me particularly difficult because they are used to getting their way. So I’m on their most stubborn list (usually the top.) Other agreeable people don’t find me to be stubborn, because it’s never an issue.

Basically, if you think that I’m stubborn, it’s your own fault. So there.