Perseverance and Stubbornness

Unwavering resolve — the warrior’s determination to win at all costs in battle, or to die fighting — was not exempt from the material that could be turned into destructors.

And it is often observed how a person stubbornly clings to pointless ideas, outdated notions, or ineffective strategies.

It is obvious that such stubbornness leads only to the loss of Power and is a Qliphothic program carried out by the individual.

But how does one distinguish a warrior’s perseverance in achieving set goals from the stubbornness of a victim?

Any obstacle that arises along the way can be considered from two perspectives: from one point of view it can be a “test of strength,” a battle with an adversary that prevents progress toward greater efficiency in the transmutation of Power. From the other perspective, it can be the Power’s own reaction to movement “in the wrong direction,” serving as a means to “return to the true Way.”

Clearly, the warrior who regards the obstacle from the first viewpoint sees, through impeccable action, a continuation of the struggle and holding the line. At the same time, adopting the second view requires an urgent change of direction and a return to the true Way.

But the real situation is that any given obstacle may be either an expression of the ferocity of predators or evidence of the “wrath of the gods.”

Therefore the decision about effectiveness comes down to discerning obstacles.

Accordingly, a warrior who stubbornly strives to break through the destructors acts effectively and flawlessly, while a warrior who persists in delusions loses both time and Power.

As is usual in such situations, it all comes down to the degree of honesty with oneself.

The mind is usually unable to predict the direction of the flow of Power, but it can always detect deviations from that Flow. In other words, in the depths of the psychocosmos an “inner compass” always operates — Pronoia — which makes it possible to understand how well the current route corresponds to the global direction of one’s personal Way. It is clear that the Parasite of the mind will do everything it can to distort the indications of this “compass” and pass off its own voice as genuine, but an honest mind is always able to distinguish even a very artful imitation from the original.

Therefore, for the warrior receiving “blows of fate,” the conclusion about their nature arises precisely from the inner answer to the key question: “Is it really me who wants to go where I am going?”

If the answer to this question is affirmative, then the Way must be continued even when one must crawl and, under the weight of the accumulating burden, has no strength to raise one’s head from the ground. But if the answer is negative, the situation requires a fundamental reevaluation and movement requires correction.

The more often the warrior asks himself this question and the firmer his answers, the more effective his advance.

The worst situation is when the traveler doubts. Predators are quite capable of making even the unshakeable hesitate.

In that case the principal danger lies precisely in the hesitation itself. The only effective exit is to take a step and “see what happens.” Such a “reconnaissance by combat” allows one to leave the “suspended” state and return to active fighting; it is only important to pay close attention to the situation and to return in time if the step was taken in the wrong direction.