Tenacity: The Unsung Hero of Progress
Tenacity drives humanity’s greatest achievements. From suffragettes to civil rights leaders, history shows how steadfast resolve shapes our world. Yet in our instant-gratification culture, we often overlook this powerful force for change.
Tenacity — that fierce blend of determination, persistence and grit — has long been the quiet engine driving humanity’s greatest achievements. From the suffragettes who fought tirelessly for women’s right to vote, to civil rights leaders who faced down violent oppression with dogged resolve, history is replete with examples of tenacious individuals who refused to back down in the face of seemingly insurmountable odds.
Yet in our modern world of instant gratification and viral sensations, the slow burn of tenacity is often overlooked. We celebrate overnight successes while forgetting the years of dogged persistence that preceded them. We marvel at breakthroughs without appreciating the countless failures that paved the way.
This cultural blind spot does us all a disservice. By failing to recognise and cultivate tenacity, we rob ourselves of one of our most powerful tools for driving positive change — both in our personal lives and in society at large.
The truth is, meaningful progress rarely comes easily or quickly. Real change — the kind that reshapes industries, topples oppressive systems, and expands the boundaries of human knowledge — requires a special kind of stubborn determination. It demands the ability to keep pushing forward even when the path ahead seems impossibly long and arduous.
Take the fight for women’s suffrage in Britain. For decades, women like Emmeline Pankhurst endured ridicule, violence, and imprisonment as they campaigned for the right to vote. They staged protests, went on hunger strikes, and faced brutal force-feedings at the hands of authorities. Lesser spirits might have broken under such treatment. But these women possessed an iron resolve that could not be shaken.
Their tenacity was ultimately rewarded in 1928 when British women finally gained full voting rights. But the victory was hard-won, coming only after nearly 40 years of relentless struggle. It was a reflection of the power of sustained, determined action in the face of entrenched opposition.
We see a similar story play out in the American civil rights movement. Leaders like Martin Luther King Jr. and Rosa Parks displayed remarkable tenacity as they worked to dismantle the system of racial segregation and discrimination that had long oppressed Black Americans.
Parks’ refusal to give up her bus seat to a white passenger in 1955 may seem like a simple act of defiance. But it was backed by years of careful planning and organising within the civil rights community. Her arrest sparked the Montgomery Bus Boycott — a campaign that lasted over a year and required immense sacrifice from thousands of Black residents who walked miles to work rather than ride segregated buses.
King, meanwhile, faced repeated arrests, death threats, and ultimately assassination as he pursued his dream of racial equality. Yet he never backed down in his commitment to nonviolent resistance, even in the face of brutal oppression. His tenacity helped galvanise a movement that fundamentally reshaped American society.
The realm of scientific discovery provides equally compelling examples of the power of tenacity. Marie Curie, the pioneering physicist and chemist, faced enormous obstacles as a woman in the male-dominated scientific community of the early 20th century. Yet she persevered, becoming the first woman to win a Nobel Prize and the first person to win Nobel Prizes in two scientific fields.
Curie’s groundbreaking work on radioactivity came at great personal cost. Years of exposure to radioactive materials took a severe toll on her health. But even as she battled radiation sickness, Curie remained dedicated to her research and to serving humanity. During World War I, she developed mobile X-ray units to treat wounded soldiers on the battlefield.
Her tenacity not only advanced our understanding of radioactivity but also paved the way for future generations of women in science. Curie’s legacy serves as a powerful reminder that progress often requires us to keep pushing forward even when the personal cost is high.
In the business world, tenacity is often the difference between success and failure. The path of entrepreneurship is littered with setbacks, rejections, and moments of doubt. Those who succeed are not necessarily the most brilliant or innovative, but rather those who possess the grit to keep going when others would give up.
Consider the story of Arianna Huffington, founder of The Huffington Post. Her second book was rejected by 36 publishers before finally being accepted. Rather than becoming discouraged, Huffington used each rejection as motivation to improve her work. This tenacity eventually led her to create one of the most influential news websites in the world.
Similarly, Walt Disney was fired from a newspaper for “lacking imagination” early in his career. He went on to found an animation studio that failed, leaving him broke. But Disney refused to give up on his vision. His tenacity ultimately led to the creation of Mickey Mouse and the global entertainment empire we know today.
These stories underscore a crucial point: success is rarely a straight line. It’s a winding path filled with obstacles and setbacks. Tenacity is what allows us to navigate this path, to learn from our failures and keep moving forward.
But tenacity isn’t just about individual achievement. It’s also a powerful force for social change. Throughout history, movements for justice and equality have relied on the collective tenacity of ordinary people willing to stand up for what’s right, even in the face of overwhelming opposition.
The anti-apartheid movement in South Africa is a prime example. For decades, activists like Nelson Mandela and Desmond Tutu fought against a system of racial segregation that seemed unshakeable. Mandela spent 27 years in prison for his efforts. Tutu faced persecution and had his passport revoked.
Yet they and countless others persisted, using every tool at their disposal — from civil disobedience to international advocacy — to chip away at the foundations of apartheid. Their tenacity eventually bore fruit with the dismantling of the apartheid system and the establishment of a democratic South Africa.
The lesson here is clear: systemic change requires sustained effort. It demands the ability to keep pushing forward even when progress seems painfully slow or nonexistent. This is where tenacity becomes not just a personal virtue, but a collective one — a shared commitment to keep fighting for what’s right, no matter how long it takes.
In our current era, we face no shortage of challenges that demand this kind of tenacity. From the existential threat of climate change to persistent inequalities in our social and economic systems, we’re confronted with problems that can’t be solved overnight. They require sustained, determined action over years or even decades.
Take the climate crisis. Despite mounting evidence of the urgent need for action, progress on reducing greenhouse gas emissions has been frustratingly slow. It’s easy to feel discouraged in the face of such inertia. But this is precisely where tenacity becomes crucial.
Climate activists like Greta Thunberg have shown remarkable tenacity in keeping the issue at the forefront of public consciousness. Thunberg’s school strike for climate action, which began as a solitary protest, has grown into a global movement involving millions of young people. Her relentless commitment to the cause, even in the face of mockery and dismissal from world leaders, has helped shift the conversation around climate change.
Similarly, scientists and researchers continue to work tirelessly on developing clean energy technologies and more sustainable ways of living. Their efforts may not always make headlines, but their tenacity is slowly but surely moving us towards a more sustainable future.
The fight for racial justice in the wake of George Floyd’s murder provides another powerful example of collective tenacity in action. The protests that erupted across the United States and around the world in 2020 were not just a spontaneous outburst of anger. They were the culmination of years of organising and activism by groups like Black Lives Matter.
Even as media attention has waned, these activists continue to push for meaningful reforms in policing and criminal justice. Their tenacity keeps the issue alive, preventing it from fading from public consciousness and maintaining pressure on policymakers to enact change.
So how can we cultivate this kind of tenacity in our own lives and communities? It starts with recognising that setbacks and failures are not just inevitable, but often necessary parts of any worthwhile endeavor. We need to reframe our relationship with failure, seeing it not as an endpoint but as a stepping stone towards our goals.
Education has a crucial role to play here. By teaching young people about the often messy, non-linear nature of progress — both in history and in their own lives — we can help them develop the resilience and determination they’ll need to tackle big challenges.
We also need to celebrate and uplift examples of tenacity in action. This means looking beyond flashy, overnight successes to recognise the quiet persistence of those who keep showing up day after day, year after year, to push for change.
At a societal level, we need to create structures and systems that support and reward tenacity. This might mean rethinking how we fund scientific research, allowing for longer-term projects that don’t promise immediate results. Or it could involve changing how we approach education, placing greater emphasis on grit and perseverance alongside traditional academic skills.
Ultimately, cultivating tenacity is about more than just achieving our goals. It’s about who we become in the process. The challenges we face as individuals and as a society are complex and often daunting. But by embracing tenacity — that fierce blend of determination, persistence, and grit — we give ourselves the best chance of creating the change we want to see in the world.
As we look to the future, let’s remember the words of American labor leader and civil rights activist Cesar Chavez: “We cannot seek achievement for ourselves and forget about progress and prosperity for our community… Our ambitions must be broad enough to include the aspirations and needs of others, for their sakes and for our own.”
This is the essence of tenacity in service of a greater good. It’s about keeping our eyes on the horizon, even as we navigate the day-to-day struggles. It’s about refusing to give up, not just for ourselves, but for the betterment of all.
In a world that often seems chaotic and unpredictable, tenacity gives us a way to shape our own destinies and contribute to positive change. It reminds us that even when progress seems slow or impossible, our persistent efforts can and do make a difference. So let’s embrace tenacity in all its forms — as individuals, as communities, and as a society. The challenges we face are great, but our capacity for determined, sustained action is greater still.
Sources: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 & 11
Bob Lynn / 22-Nov-2024
