Is Perseverance Always Good?

The story of the first marathon is interesting. As the legend goes, a young Athenian messenger named Pheidippides was sent from Athens to Sparta to request Spartan support against the Persians in the Battle of Marathon in 490 BCE.[1] The distance was approximately 250 kilometers through rugged, mountainous terrain. As the legend goes, Pheidippides did not stop there. He ran back to Athens to deliver news of the Spartan response, bringing his total distance to 500 kilometers over three days and two nights.[2]

Today, many people symbolically participate in Pheidippides’ mythical run, albeit covering 42 kilometers (26.2 miles) instead of the full 500. In 2018 alone, 1.1 million people ran a marathon.[3] Many people ran even further. Ultramarathons (events longer than 42 kilometers) are increasing in popularity, with 611,098 participants in 2018 alone—a 1,676 percent increase in participation since 1996.[4]

Finishing these events is a massive undertaking. Training for them requires hard work and planning, and runners are often praised for their perseverance upon completing them.

As more people partake in these events, we might wonder about the virtue of perseverance—what it is, why it matters, and whether running further is always a good thing.

The Virtue of Perseverance

Perseverance is the virtue of “persisting long in something good until it is accomplished.”[5]

It is the virtue of endurance or staying in place, and it is an auxiliary excellence of the principal virtue of fortitude. Unlike constancy, which is the disposition to stand firm against external difficulties, perseverance’s object is internal to its task, and its difficulty “arises from the very continuance of the act.”[6]

Stated differently, continuing to do the same thing is hard, regardless of any obstacles that come our way. This is something endurance athletes tend to recognize. Doing the same thing for a long time is difficult, and it requires commitment and training. If there is one virtue that belongs to the sport of distance running, it is this one.[7]

Running aside, perseverance is an excellence that supports a good life. It is important in schoolwork, relationships, work projects, and difficult seasons of life. Persevering is one of the most important things we can learn to do—to remain on task rather than being turned aside by distractions or acting irresolute in commitments. The fact that running offers practice in this virtue is a valuable opportunity.

But not all instances of endurance qualify as the virtue of perseverance. Here are three ways we get it wrong.

1. We persevere to the wrong ends.

Imagine a person who remains committed and on task as she pursues a life of crime. This is not praiseworthy because the end is not good.

In running, nothing may be inherently wrong with pursuing a goal race and persevering toward that end. But if completing the race crowds out worthier commitments—such as friendships or work responsibilities—then completing the race may not exhibit the virtue of perseverance. Not all finish lines are good ones.

2. We persevere in the wrong ways.

Perseverance can also go wrong through bullheadedness or “hold[ing] on imprudently.”[8] Philosopher Nathan King uses the word intransigence, describing persistence to a goal that is no longer worthwhile.[9]

One example is pushing through injury to finish a race. A second example is finishing a run through a lightning storm, imperiling your life to make it to the finish line. A third example is stubbornly persisting toward a big goal you are not ready for.

Remaining in place through difficulty is one of the best things we can learn to do, but being excellent in this respect does not mean we never surrender.

3. We persevere for the wrong reasons.

Imagine a donor giving a sum of money to a hospital. You attribute to him the virtue of generosity. Later, he announces he gave money just so that his name would appear on the building—because he loves attention. We would likely still be grateful for the donation, but we cease to think of the donor as exhibiting the excellence of generosity.

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A common intuition about virtue is that motivation matters. An unfitting motivation disqualifies a good action as virtuous. In the perseverance situation, this means that the reasons we run matter.

If we run far to challenge ourselves, to steward our abilities, or to be part of a community, these can be great motivations. If, instead, we run to garner praise, to brag, or to minimize the accomplishments of those who run less far, these unfitting motivations mean our endurance, however far it takes us, fails to meet the standard of excellence that the virtue of perseverance requires.

Final Thoughts

Perseverance is a virtue that supports a good life, and marathons provide a great opportunity to develop it. But not all instances of endurance qualify as a virtue. Sometimes, we should rest, call it a day, or reconsider our motivations and commitments.