I am very intrigued by the definition
of intellectual perseverance. There
seems to be three parts to this definition, and each has enough depth to stand independent
of the other. The definition in its’ entirety is, “(1) Having a consciousness
of the need to use intellectual insights and truths in spite of difficulties,
obstacles, and frustrations; (2) firm adherence to rational principles despite
the irrational opposition of others; (3) a sense of the need to struggle with
confusion and unsettled questions over an extended period of time to achieve
deeper understanding or insight. I want to take moment and just reflect on my
failure to have intellectual perseverance.
As I read the definition, I am
immediately reminded of times I’ve made emotional decisions. Difficulties,
obstacles and frustrations all have a way of making me feel I must respond
immediately and with decisive action. Unfortunately, such rash action without
much thought often leads me to make poor decisions. When others act irrational,
it almost seems as though a, “act irrational” pass has been given! How dare
they act so foolish and outrageous, I am going to do the exact same thing! Instead,
time to struggle and wrestle with the unsettled questions such as, why are they
acting to irrational, should be taken until a deeper understanding or insight
can be had.
I can recall spending a summer
working as a junior leader for a team of salesmen. One of the senior leaders
pulled me to the side one evening after a long shift, and she shared with me
how talented she thought I was, but also how she felt I was wanting to steal
the spotlight from others. She found me to be acting out of my role, and
encouraged me to stay humble and to enjoy my time as a junior leader. My initial response was shock. I could not believe
she had based an entire sit down discussion on an accusation that I didn’t feel
was grounded in any truth. I wanted to be the superstar? Insane. The shock,
that night as I tried to sleep, quickly turned to anger. I felt that I had been
attacked, and I had every intention the following morning to rebuke her
publically the next morning. I clearly had no concept of intellectual
perseverance. I took the matters into my own hands without thinking them
through, and my public explosion the following morning only seemed to give her
fuel to validate her claims.
Was my anger and action
justified? In hindsight, I wish I had sat and thought everything through. I wish
I had possessed intellectual perseverance of thinking through my frustration,
not letting what I believed to be irrational behavior trigger my own, and to
struggle through the anger and emotion until I had a deeper insight of her own
perspective.
How can this definition,
combined with my own experience of lacking the contents of it, help me in my
studies? There will be frustrations, I am sure. There will be obstacles. Team
exercises will forward challenges and some irrational behavior, I bet.
Confusion, questions about content and people and times of not understanding
are beyond the horizon. Intellectual perseverance will not only help me to
process things in a metacognitive manner, but also give me a reminder that thinking
through issues during a time of difficulty is what being a critical thinker and
a leader is about.
My concept of being a good
leader is someone who is consistent in making the best decision possible for
the greater good, with little to no self-consideration. Being able to do that
requires what I now know to be intellectual perseverance.
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