Stubbornness

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Stubbornness

By PHIL WITTMEYER & Others

Fear of Change

The Stubborn one resists external influences. He doesn't need any outside "interference". He prefers to go his own way, make up his own mind, follow his own instincts. He is slow to respond to external correcting measures, and so he remains in inappropriate patterns of behavior, thought, and feeling. All of the Features have to do with self-image, and in the case of Stubbornness, the person is self-contained. He prefers to operate/function on his own, without regard for others or the environment. You can't tell him anything. He rarely asks for advice or seeks counsel when making a decision. He rarely seeks knowledge about his situation to make an informed decision — he just does what he wants, following some internal stimulus that has no rational, emotional, or behavioral basis. He is arbitrary and inflexible in his thoughts, feelings, and actions.

The underlying fear that drives Stubbornness is the fear of dealing with new situations. The person might try to make new situations as much like the old as possible, or else find ways to avoid new situations. The way to overcome this is to contemplate and apply the Positive Poles of all the other Features. If the new situation involves behavior, then contemplate +Selflessness and +Audacity. If it involves emotions, then contemplate +Humility and +Pride. If it involves thoughts or beliefs, then contemplate +Sacrifice and +Egotism.

Positive Pole

The Positive Pole is +Determination. The person sees himself as the proverbial "irresistible force". No matter what anyone says or what the situation is, the person is determined to have his way. He is staunch and stalwart in his purposes, resolute and tenacious in his thoughts and beliefs. The motto is, "Yes I will and you can't stop me." He takes a notion out of the clear blue sky and goes for it with all his might. He regards himself as a power whose will won't be denied. Nothing can deflect him from his predetermined path, once he has started on it. It is as if he is in motion, and cannot be stopped. Obviously this can be dangerous or detrimental if the person happens to be on the wrong course.

Negative Pole

In the Negative Pole of -Obstinacy, the person sees himself as the proverbial "immovable object". No matter what anyone says or what the situation is, the person cannot be budged. It is as if he is at rest and cannot be started. This is like the stubborn mule who sits down on his haunches and refuses to rise and move on. The harder someone pushes at him, the harder he digs in and resists. If someone says to him "Yes you will", his automatic reaction is "Oh no I won't and you can't make me", and a contest of wills is begun. He regards himself as a bastion or stronghold that cannot be overthrown. He is balky, refractory, unyielding, incompliant, rigid, and mulish.

Stubbornness is the counterpart of the Scholar Role. Stubborn people see themselves as Scholars are, in the sense that they are disconnected from the environment, aloof. They observe and study it, but are not affected by it.

The lesson to be learned from Stubbornness is to flow gracefully with circumstances, rather than resisting change. Remember the proverb about mighty oak trees, which often break if they do not bend with the wind.

Phil Wittmeyer

Channeling About Stubbornness

Stubbornness is defined as a fear of change and new situations, particularly those that originate outside oneself. It is natural for people to like to feel that they are in charge of the changes in their life to some degree. You largely do choose at least the big things in your life, such as the job you take, the person you mate with, and so forth. However, because you are part of a social structure, you also are under the necessity of accepting certain things that may not be your personal choice. In stubbornness, there is excessive sensitivity to this.

Its positive pole is "determination." You might say it is the determination to make their own choices, but obstacles are based in fear, which distort perceptions. In stubbornness, people believe that they have less determination than they actually do, so they try to make up for that perceived lack by overdoing it. In the negative pole, "obstinacy," they are extremely bull-headed; they are simply not going to budge. It often manifests as "No one is going to tell me what to do!" There is a digging in of their heels.

Stubbornness is the most common obstacle. One of the reasons is that, being on the assimilation (neutral) axis, it allows easy sliding to any of the others. There are a lot of examples of people who combine stubbornness with others: stubborn greed and stubborn self-destruction are two popular combinations.

Stubbornness is in the same position as the neutral role of scholar. All assimilation axis traits are characterized by transparency and have a tendency to become stuck. Therefore, it is especially easy for people in stubbornness not to see it and to fool themselves, to stubbornly insist that they aren't being stubborn.

Shepherd Hoodwin -- From Michael On Chief Obstacles (Fears)

Next page | Stubbornness

The Chief Features (Fears): Self-Deprecation, Arrogance, Self-Destruction, Greed, Martyrdom, Impatience, Stubbornness

About Phil Wittmeyer

Phil is a long-time Michael student who has written several book-length manuscripts about the Michael teachings, many of them featured on this site. He has been an active member in the community for many years and can be found at most Michael gatherings.

Phil currently lives in Colorado.