The Humongous Difference Between Persistence and Perseverance
Most of us use persistence and perseverance interchangeably. And though they are very similar in a lot of ways, there are a few subtle differences that can have massive effects on the outcome of your situation.
You are at a job you hate or in a relationship that just isn’t working out. You put your head down and continue to hold yourself accountable and remain loyal to that job/partner regardless of how miserable you feel.
You’re committed and you’ll give nothing less than 100% every single time. The payout will come eventually. Won’t it?
You keep expecting some return on your investment of time and energy but, alas, nothing comes but pain, frustration, and resentment. You carry on in spite of these oppositions because you can’t possibly stop now. You can’t quit after putting in all this effort. That would be tragic…wouldn’t it?
So you persist and persist; ignoring that little voice telling you to get out while you still have time to actually live.
Persistence vs. Perseverance
Persistence can be your undoing if you’re not careful.
The illusion that persisting is always a virtue
has caused people to stay in relationships with people they don’t respect, put up with jobs they hate, and generally just continue to perform the same painful action over and over again, in hopes that it might get better.
How do you know if you’re pursuing a lost cause, or if you’re actually carrying on through a tough time?
Think about persistence as mindlessly pursuing a cause for the sake of pursuit. Think telemarketer, debt collector, and reporters.
Perseverance, on the other hand, is almost never a bad thing. 
When you persevere, you’re not stubborn or illogically resolute; you’re calm, steady, and strong.
Just keep in mind that persistence always has a time limit where going on just doesn’t make sense. How many times are you going to contact the prospect before you give up?
Have you ever found that beating your head against the wall only stops hurting when you stop? And that maybe there’s a door that you didn’t see because you were so busy beating your head against the wall?
Perseverance in the name of a clear goal never has a time limit. People have dedicated their entire life to a cause they believe in even when it seems hopeless; even when they meet with obstacle after obstacle. I know I’m grateful that folks are persevering on looking for a cure for cancer and Alzheimer’s disease!
So join me in taking time to see where you want to persevere and also where persistence is causing you to stay stuck.
Allow awareness to unfold. Just breathe. Think slow. And set the terms on which you want to live your life with full consciousness, not obstinacy!
3 Comments
This is a good one to remember and pause to think about. My Grandfather Earl ran track at the U of O for Coach Hayward (Hayward Field). One of my early youth goals was also to run track at UO so I kept at it in high school though had several leg injuries. After high school my UO coach Bill Bowerman gave me more opportunities to reach my goal. I persisted at running despite more leg injuries. Very soon I was stuck in the situation of limping on sore legs with more running to do. My goal changed then, no more leg injuries and now time to figure out grades and girls. That quickly led me to a date with a great girl ( my wife Sandi ). My pursuing had changed, lucky for me.
I hadn’t thought about the difference, but enjoyed reading your blog. I realize now how often I was persistent instead of persevering.Thanks!
Gail, I think hindsight is how we sometimes tells the difference! Thanks for sharing!