Perseverance is only a virtue in the right direction

You may have noticed a new title at the top of this newsletter lately… no, it’s not a glitch.

What was formerly Higher Purpose Playbook is now Room to Build. And if you’ve been here for more than six months, then you know it was Rampart Letters before that.

Three names (and three pivots) in under two years. That’s a lot of change in a short time frame. Despite knowing the change was needed, I almost didn’t make the adjustment for that exact reason.

I get self-conscious about how quickly I’m willing to change. I am constantly questioning my path forward. Is it working? Do I like it? Is there a better way? Those questions lead to new ideas, and I am more than happy to leap toward them.

The hesitation (and embarrassment) I have sometimes felt in recent years comes from an increased use of the term “shiny object syndrome.” It’s a phrase used to refer to people who get easily distracted from their current endeavors and run off to try new things they think will work better or faster. It used to be confined primarily to business circles (entrepreneurs have to stick at one thing for a long time to be successful), and is now used more frequently in common parlance. Social media exposes us to new ideas every day, hour, and minute. I don’t want the “shiny object syndrome” label slapped on me.

I’ve discovered I’m not alone in that fear.

In Robert Cialdini’s book Influence: Science and Practice, he points out that people are afraid of looking “flip-floppy” because of the psychological and social costs. In fact, his research found that when people are confronted with evidence that their decisions or actions were wrong, they will still feel positive about them…if they were consistent.

Knowing that about my brain scares me.

We have created a culture and cultivated minds that tell us being consistently wrong is better than changing course when confronted with new information.

I encountered this in my own life when I was in college, and in matters much more significant than the name and subject of a weekly blog/newsletter. I changed my political and religious identity.

These were not changes that came without a social cost, and I’ve had to make peace with the fact that many people probably see me as “flip-floppy” as a result. I had served in public-facing, political roles and expressed liberal views on national television before I realized I aligned more with conservative principles. I worked as a Protestant missionary and worked in local ministry roles before seriously grappling with the evidence that pointed me toward Catholicism (my friends could even tell you about my brief anti-Catholic blip before converting).

I had to confront my past assumptions as well as the new information I had and decide: is it better to be consistent in what I’m almost certain is the wrong direction, or to wander inconsistently but, in some roundabout way, get closer to the right destination?

I decided that, despite the potential embarrassment, it would be better to turn around and retrace my steps when I realized I was wrong than walk confidently straight off a cliff. If you’re looking for permission to do the same, I hope this is it.

Our culture considers perseverance — the ability to continue despite the barriers and obstacles one encounters — a virtue. I agree that it’s important. But it’s only a virtue when it’s pointed in the right direction. Persevering in crime, for example, would be considered wrong. So would persevering in sin, hate, etc. Those dramatic distinctions are easy to make, but when it comes to the minutiae of our day-to-day life, the line can be harder to draw. And without a clear line, the personal and social stigma can get to us.

But perseverance is not a virtue in the wrong direction. You may be praised for your consistency, but it is still wrong.

So I try not to let the fear of being labeled with “shiny object syndrome” stop me from making a change when change is needed. If something isn’t worth pursuing, there’s no moral value in continuing to pursue it. If something isn’t working, there’s no shame in needing to make changes.

Entrepreneurs do this all the time, but it’s not exclusive to Silicon Valley. “Fail fast” is a motto that we can apply to our own lives. Perseverance is valuable before you have the data you need, whether scientific, experiential, or philosophical. Once the data shows you the path isn’t sustainable or isn’t headed toward potential success, staying the course for the sake of the course isn’t a virtue.

There are some things we can only know by trying. It wasn’t until I started creating a Substack focused on personal development (Higher Purpose Playbook) that I realized what I was really trying to build needed room for more than just productivity and personal stories. I needed a platform where I could write about what it takes to build a meaningful life on a personal level, as well as the institutions, laws, and cultural norms that determine whether that life can be built at all.

That’s what Room to Build is. I hope you’ll stay tuned in, and that if a better path opens itself in the woods where you walk, you won’t dismiss it out of blind loyalty to the path you’re already on.

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