Even when 99% of resistance is ignorance, there is always some wisdom in it. When someone in a business meeting resists an idea, the curious response isn’t frustration but inquiry: “What is it that doesn’t say ‘yeah, let’s do this’ in them? And where’s the wisdom in that?”
Joe illustrates this with Brett’s procrastination: the fear of getting it wrong, when listened to rather than fought, reveals practical wisdom — “I’m doing something new and I would benefit from being aware that I might take steps with unintended consequences.” The wisdom was embedded in the resistance all along; it just needed to be heard rather than overridden.
This applies equally to resistance in others and in ourselves. If you listen to the resistance rather than trying to push through it, you often find out what tool or awareness is needed for the next step. The resistance is pointing at something that matters.
Related Concepts
- Procrastination has wisdom
- Loving resistance is the path through it
- Denial has a functional purpose
- Bullying yourself into action creates resistance
- Intuition sees what the logical mind cannot