The Obdurist

THE OBDURIST

“Afflictions sent by providence melt the constancy of the noble minded, but confirm the obduracy of the vile, as the same furnace that liquefies the gold, hardens the clay” - Charles Caleb Colton

Every individual consists of emotions & feelings. It's the way they express that determines their stature in the society. The most irritating & 'effective' one is that of an obdurist - a made up word derived from 'obduracy': an "art" to defy other's & stand-by one's own views (even though they're terribly wrong).

So what is obduracy for a lay-man? Well, it's a 'quality' that most of us are capable of, but we don't because we differentiate it swiftly. It's the first step towards self-destruction & like we all know, when we're self-destructing it seems like it's the world's fault & that everyone we know has turned against us, but in reality there comes a point in life where you've to step-up to yourself & face your own eyes through your soul. But the beauty of being an obdurist is that the person know's it's his fault, but he/she builds abstract-mental walls around them to retain & re-live their delusion. But when the walls of society begin to close-in, the only way that seems apt to the person is that of dying with dignity aka suicide. We all know that suicide is an attempt of those people who don't have the guts to face the society, much less themselves. 

The ultimate obdurist would be the one who defies the ethos of the society even at the cost of his/her own gratification. History has been the testimony of what obdurist have  bestowed upon others. Like, in science electric current is produced by the motion of negatively charged electrons, the person too have to be possessed by such great negativity that can force his/her to turn to obduracy. The person develops a sort-of an envelope/a shell in which the world would spin according to his will. Obduracy is, afterall, a form of delusion - but a more spontaneous & self-acquired one. Obduracy is a choice & some people do make bad choices! A strong liking or reluctance to something/someone can be considered as uno examples of obduracy. It's the obsession towards that thing/person that drives the person to his/her destiny.

So what's the cure for obduracy? Obviously when a person turns delusional, it's nearly impossible for him/her to distinguish the lines of reality & delusion. So at this point it is required for his/her well-wishers to step in & bring the person back on his toes. A straight-forward way is always appreciated but not in the cases of mental stresses/disorders. Likewise in a delusion, if a confrontation takes place then matter might get out of hands & then it's followed by what people always regret: hard feelings/misunderstandings. So a delusional person must be taken great care of & handled with care & understanding. The person demands to be treated like a child. And how do we treat a child - by first entering into his/her 'trust-circle' i.e. winning the trust. We then try to get close to him/her in a mental way where both can count on each other without the fear of being 'judged' or 'mocked'. Slowly but surely, the matter normalize's with some professional help! By professional help I mean - medical help i.e. consulting a good psychiatrist, sometimes even an elder's advice would be helpful.

“A stubborn mind conduces as little to wisdom or even to knowledge, as a stubborn temper to happiness” - Robert Southey