A man called Hiroo Onoda has just died. He was a solider from the second world war who was said not to have believed in surrender until 1974, 29 years later. That's when he was persuaded to surrender from his Philippine jungle hideout.
He was a man loyal to an ideal, to the end. And beyond.
When does persistence become fanaticism, derangement? It's admirable to persevere and necessary to achieve anything past the short term. But, when you refuse to see the signs that your effort is at an end, you can waste a whole heap of time just pressing on. Doing the same thing over and over again simply because it feels too bad to contemplate letting go.
What can add confusion is, a certain suspension of judgement is be required to keep the faith long enough to see an initiative through to success. But the moment will come when you just know against the weight of your internal dynamic that this is it; it's over. Anything more requires a willing state of delusion that can only be voluntary and heartfelt. And your heart isn't close to being in it anymore.
Mr Onoda went on to live to 91. He had other people to implore him sir, enough is enough. You've done your best, you've done your duty. In that way he was fortunate.
Sometimes you are the one that has to implore yourself to let it go, in the face of everyone insisting otherwise.
No comments:
Post a Comment