Beyond Stubborn

When it comes to communicating with others, sometimes it is incredibly difficult. There are those folks who are so locked into their view that they are closed to any conversation, particularly when it comes to topics or issues with which they are quite passionate, In fact, they can be so stubborn or closed to other perspectives what they exhibit is beyond stubbornness. What would be normally considered to be sure-fire icebreakers such as reason, the facts and reality do not get them to re-evaluate their position and/or behavior. These individuals are virtually intractable and, as a result, nearly impossible to communicate with.


One such person died recently at the age of 91. His name was Hiroo Onoda. He was the last Japanese soldier to surrender to the United States which defeated his country, thus bringing to an end World War II in 1945. Onoda did not put down his arms a couple of days or weeks after his country surrendered. Oh no. He held out for 29 years. The year was 1974 when Onoda finally emerged from the caves in the Philippines in which he had been hiding and, in his words, gathering intelligence on the US. One can only imagine what tidbits he had collected. When Onoda was asked why he did not surrender in 1945, he claimed it was because her had not received orders from his superiors to do so.


I suppose it is easy to treat Onoda either as a comic or a tragic figure. Personally, I find him to be neither. Reading his story, I feel sorry for a person so blind to reality that he became unwilling to make the necessary adjustments to move forward with his life. I certainly do not attach any positive feelings toward his behavior and whatever virtue he felt he was displaying on behalf of his country. Onoda was the ultimate of "stuck." Fortunately, none of us encounter too many - if any - people in our travels quite like this man. Onoda was a fanatic and fanatics, by definition, are far from the best communicators.