Worth a Listen, Look or Read — The Concept of "Resistance"

Go Slow to Eventually Go Fast

Jeff Ikler here for Kirsten Richert with our weekly Getting Unstuck mini feature: “Worth a Listen, Look or Read.” Here in under five minutes, we suggest a new way of thinking, unique content, or critical skills to help school leaders at any level get unstuck.

The mini lesson

This week’s podcast topic is “student agency,” which refers to students learning through activities that are meaningful and relevant to them, driven by their interests, often self-initiated but supported by conversation with their teachers. “Student agency,” as this week’s guest, teacher Kerry Graham, defined it, gives students voice and choice in how they learn and how they demonstrate their knowledge. It’s a wonderful, liberating idea.

Kerry cautions that we need to help our students develop agency gradually. Why? Because what we’re talking about here is the ownership, the responsibility, of learning – the shift from teacher to student. And for students who are not used to choice and voice, the sudden freedom might be a bit daunting especially when it comes to them choosing how best to demonstrate their knowledge.

Given that, as I was thinking about students experiencing agency for the first time, Steven Pressfield’s concept of “resistance” came to mind, and I wondered if some students might experience it. Pressfield is the author of many books and screenplays, and one of his most notable books is THE WAR OF ART. It’s where he introduces the concept of “resistance.” “Resistance” is that internal negative energy, that repelling force that Pressfield writes “prevents us from doing our work. It’s the villain in our movie, the enemy within. It is self-sabotage.” Unquote.

Resistance may manifest itself as procrastination, delay, diversion, or ultimately giving up. “I’m going to start tomorrow,” is resistance’s rallying cry.

Why does resistance exist? Pressfield argues that human beings weren’t wired to functional as individuals. They were originally wired to act as part of a group because there was safety in numbers. Step outside the safety of the group and bad things can happen to you. In present day terms, you can fail if you are left on your own.

If you have ever considered stepping out of your comfort zone, you have probably experienced that dry mouth, pit in your stomach; that red traffic light of inaction; that feeling of feet-in-concrete, and that nagging internal question of “Hey, who do you think you are?”

So, while resistance can be a form of self-protection – the soul’s immune system kicking in to keep us out of danger – in seeking to protect us, it can hold us back from realizing who we are and what we want.

The antidote for anyone aspiring to step out is, as the Nike ad proclaims, to just do it – to do whatever it is you aspire to do. But especially for kids who are new to experiencing agency, there is the need as Kerry cautioned, to experience it gradually. But at the same time, consistently. Learning how to bring their voice to working effectively in teams may increase the likelihood of keeping resistance at bay. What we want is for students’ is their inner voice to tell them “I can do this.”

 The book again is THE WAR OF ART by Steven Pressfield. The concept is RESISTANCE. Don’t resist reading it.

Additional resources

> The War of Art - book

Steve Pressfield interviews

> Marie Forleo - podcast

> Tim Ferriss - podcast

Jeff Ikler