Stubborness and the Pyrrhic Victory

When I was a young boy, my mother said, “Don’t cut off your nose to spite your face.”

Though this phrase is now probably a cliché, it does express an important view about how one deals with others and situations in life.

I strive to not be stubborn as I usually harm myself in such situations. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cutting_off_the_nose_to_spite_the_face.

Also see Pyrrhic Victory: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pyrrhic_victory

stub·born (stùb¹ern) adjective
stub·born·er, stub·born·est

1. a. Unreasonably, often perversely unyielding; bullheaded. b. Firmly resolved or determined; resolute. See synonyms at OBSTINATE.
3. Difficult to treat or deal with; resistant to treatment or effort: stubborn soil; stubborn stains.
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Simon and Garfunkel - Sound Of Silence lyrics

Hello darkness, my old friend,
I've come to talk with you again,
Because a vision softly creeping,
Left its seeds while I was sleeping,
And the vision that was planted in my brain
Still remains
Within the sound of silence.

In restless dreams I walked alone
Narrow streets of cobblestone,
'Neath the halo of a street lamp,
I turned my collar to the cold and damp
When my eyes were stabbed by the flash ofa neon light
That split the night
And touched the sound of silence.

And in the naked light I saw
Ten thousand people, maybe more.
People talking without speaking,
People hearing without listening,
People writing songs
that voices never share
And no one dared
Disturb the sound of silence.

"Fools" said I, "You do not know
Silence like a cancer grows.
Hear my words that I might teach you,
Take my arms that I might reach you.
"But my words like silent raindrops fell,
And echoed
In the wells of silence

And the people bowed and prayed
To the neon god they made.
And the sign flashed out its warning,
In the words that it was forming.
And the signs said, The words of the prophets
are written on the subway walls
And tenement halls.
And whisper'd in the sounds of silence.

When I was in college, I greatly enjoyed listening to the music of Paul Simon & Art Garfunkel.

Mrs. Robinson was one of my favorite songs as was the Sounds of Silence. http://www.google.com/search?sourceid=navclient&ie=UTF-8&rlz=1T4GGLJ_enUS224US224&q=Simon+and+Garfunkel; http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Simon_and_Garfunkel

Now, these two had a contentious relationship that harmed both of their careers. But for their communication problems or "artistic differences" they would certainly have achieved even greater success.

One might ask, “What might have been?” if it were not for the stubborn conflicts in their relationship.

Conflict in my parents’ marriage resulted in a cessation of their climb up the hill and I will never forget how obvious it was to watch the duo harm their empire building by conflict. Though they remained married and their marriage survived those years, the conflict generated by a lack of trust and stubbornness greatly limited the previously dynamic financial fortunes of the couple.

A couple must pull in the same direction if they are going to be successful. As anyone can recognize, there are different degrees of success and more is achieved by pulling together than will ever be accomplished by a struggle for power, dominance, vindictiveness or stubbornness.

"The Zax"

The second story in this Dr Seuss book is about two Zax that are terribly stubborn and refuse to move so the other may pass. Their stubbornness keeps them stuck in the same place, and as it does, the world goes on around them and without them.

This story is very short, but lends itself to a long life-lesson. Stubbornness can keep us stuck in the same place away from God's will. When we refuse to change or turn from our own way, we will become what the Bible calls "unrepentant." When we are stuck in this place, we are no good to anyone, even ourselves.

Proverbs 14: 12 "There is a way that seems right to a man, but in the end it leads to death."

Jonah was like this. God had a special opportunity for Jonah, but Jonah was stubborn and refused to do what God had call him to do. If God had not sent a storm into Jonah's life and then a great fish to save him from drowning, Jonah would have been stuck in his stubbornness and missed out on God's plan for his life. For more about Jonah, look in the book of Jonah in the Bible.

We also can become unmoving in our willingness to forgive others. This too can cause us to get "stuck."

Matthew 6:14-15 "For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins."
God's Word is very clear that we are not to hold on to bitterness and unforgiveness.” (Emphasis added.)

Source: http://www.creativebiblestudy.com/Dr-Seuss-books.html

Burton Fletcher
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