“The War of Art” by Steven Pressfield will show how terrifying our life becomes when we let time pass by and don’t accomplish our unique call.
The evil inside us is called “Resistance,” which prevents us from doing our work.
This is a war against a powerful force whose only intention is to block your growth and bury your dreams.
Have you ever procrastinated on an important assignment, quit on a diet, or avoided starting the business you know will change your life? You wanted to do all those things, and still, you haven’t moved a finger.
Do you want to guess what force impedes you from moving forward and accomplishing all those things close to your heart? It is called Resistance,
and thanks to Steven Pressfield and his book “The War of Art,” we can hit, trash, hammer, and knock down this demon. All these synonyms are justified because you will need all of them and more to win this battle.
The rules here apply to everybody, not just the people in the arts. Although the book focuses on the challenges a writer experiences while growing his career, this book is for every human being. Why? Because “Resistance” is an illness we all have and must cure.
The most toxic force on the planet
Pressfield slaps you in the face when he says:
“Most of us have two lives. The life we live, and the unlived life whiting us. Between the two stands Resistance.”
Then he continues:
“Are you a writer who doesn’t write, a painter who doesn’t paint, an entrepreneur who never starts a venture? Then you know what Resistance is.”
The author affirms that Resistance is the “most toxic force on the planet” and the root of unhappiness because “it deforms our spirit.”
Resistance will convince you to refrain from studying for that test, complete your work assignment, send the resume for a job application, do research for a new business product, practice the script for acting, and make the renovations your house urgently requires to name a few examples.
When we do other things than the job we know will drastically change our lives, it’s Resistance. It’s when we do whatever it takes not to do it: we make all the excuses that exist, lie, get sick, consume alcohol, and drugs, become obsessed with sex, food, cellphone, binge TV, compulsive buying, and gambling. We do everything, but not the activity that it’s our unique call.
The book states:
“You must declare Resistance evil, for it prevents us from achieving the life God intended when He endowed each of us with our own unique genius.”
“As powerful is our soul’s call to realization, so potent are the forces of Resistance arrayed against it.”
“[Resistance] is harder to kick than crack cocaine.”
And the author goes further:
“Does Resistance have to cripple and disfigure our lives before we wake up to its existence?… because we don’t do that thing that our hearts, our inner genius, is calling us to?”
“Resistance will bury you.” – if you don’t act immediately.
“Resistance is full of shit.”
The book “War of Art” enumerates the following activities that produce Resistance:
- A calling in writing, painting, music, film, dance, creative art
- The launching of any entrepreneurial venture
- Any diet or health regimen
- Any program of spiritual advancement
- Any activity to tighten abdominals
- A program to overcome any addiction
- Education of every kind
- Any act of political, moral, or ethical courage. The change of pattern of thought or conduct
- An endeavor to help others
- The decision to get married, have a child, and to weather a rock relationship
Pressfield goes into detail to expose the characteristics Resistance has: invisible, internal, insidious, implacable, impersonal, infallible, universal, never sleeps, plays for keeps, is fueled by fear, opposes in one direction, is more powerful at the finish line, and recruit allies.
The goal is “to shove us away, distract us, prevent us from doing our work.” He is not referring to any work. He is talking about the unique work, mission, or call that every person was born with.
“We can use [Resistance] as a compass, guiding us to that calling or action that we must follow. The more important a call or action is to our soul’s evolution, the more Resistance we will feel toward pursuing it.”
The more important the job is, the more Resistance we will experience. In the example above, the painter who does not paint and the writer who does not write want to do it, but they are unaware and don’t fight back, and Resistance is advancing like cancer and winning.
The book explains that, by definition, Resistance nurtures and grows from fear. But fear won’t disappear. Then, the author says, “It’s a good sign if you’re paralyzed with fear. It shows you what you have to do.”
“Resistance will tell you anything to keep you from doing your work. It will assume any form, if that’s what it takes to deceive you. If you take Resistance at word, you deserve everything you get.”
“Resistance is always lying and always full of shit.” –the book says
The same code for the warrior and the artist
“The warrior and the artist live by the same code of necessity, which dictates that the battle must be fought anew every day.” –Pressfield affirms.
It means that the artist must be vigilant and not let himself be convinced by that internal voice that says, for example: why don’t you take a break? You are tired and can continue this project tomorrow or next week. It won’t make any difference. You are not quitting, only taking a break…
The problem with Resistance, the author explains, is that it can use trustful facts to make you deviate from your work and make you stop. He mentions the example of a man whose pregnant wife is almost due for delivery and is faced with the dilemma of postponing his project.
The circumstances are pushing him to delay, but the artist must be aware and not let the work be forgotten because Resistance will use everything false or legit to make him stop.
The artist must navigate these deep waters and resists all temptations and obligations that will keep him from doing his job.
It’s not an exaggeration when the author says:
“The awakening artist must be ruthless, not only with herself but with others.”
“Resistance’s goal is not to wound or disable. Resistance aims to kill. The target is our genius, our soul, the unique and priceless gift we were put on earth to give and that no one else has but us.”
“When we fight it [Resistance], we are in a war to the death.”
The symptoms of Resistance
To deviate from your purpose, Resistance uses procrastination –the most common– sex, drugs, vices, trouble, health issues, self-dramatization, self-medication, victimhood, unhappiness, and criticism.
The book is convincing by saying:
“The more empty you feel, the more certain you can be that your true motivation [for sex] was not love or even lust but Resistance. This principle applies to drugs, shopping, masturbation, TV, gossip, alcohol, and the consumption of all products containing fat, sugar, salt, or chocolate.”
Pressfield explains a key action to alleviate the anxiety, depression, or emptiness you feel is: “sitting down and doing your work.” Because by doing your work, you will undoubtedly follow your internal call. This job can only be done by you. Nobody can’t and won’t do it for you. It’s your individual responsibility.
But it’s hard to beat Resistance; keep moving and not quit every day and every year of your goals. The outside obstacles are multiple, and the ones we internally create are infinite. That’s why this is an endless war we must work on daily.
“Unhappiness, vices, depression, aggression, dysfunction, physical self-destruction. Sounds like life, I know. It isn’t. It’s Resistance. We will never cure our restlessness but only by doing our work.”
The professional vs. the amateur
According to the author, we combat Resistance when we turn PRO. What does he mean by that?
Most of us are already Pro by necessity and obligation: in our jobs. Whether we like our jobs or not, we act professionally in the following, as the book explains:
We show up every day (even when sick), stay all day, are committed, the stakes are high (to feed our families), accept remuneration, don’t overidentify with the job, master the technique, have a sense of humor, and receive praise or blame on the real world.
On the opposite is the amateur who is obsessed and preoccupied with fame and failure, does the work when he has time available and feels like it, stakes are “illusory and fake,” has not mastered the technique, doesn’t receive money, and doesn’t expose to criticism.
“Resistance knows that the amateurs will never write his symphony because he is overly invested in its success and over terrified of its failure. The amateurs take it so seriously it paralyzes him.”
When the amateurs decide to become pros, they will be on the way to fighting Resistance –the author assures.
The professional –the book continues– is patient, conserves his energy, and prepares for the long haul, while the amateur is overambitious and unrealistic in his goals. Resistance knows the amateur won’t endure the intensity and will crash.
Also, it’s necessary to be humble while doing our work. Because Resistance uses pride and preciousness as a way to mislead us, as it’s showed below:
“Resistance loves pride and preciousness. Resistance says: show me a writer who’s too good to take job X or assignment Y, and I’ll show you a guy I can crack like a walnut.”
Conclusion
Pressfield says that a professional differentiates from the amateur because:
- Is on a mission and will not tolerate disorder
- Views work as a craft, not art
- Acts in the face of fear. He knows there is no such thing as a fearless warrior or a dread-free artist
- He is prepared, each day, to confront his own self-sabotage
Because Resistance changes its modus operandi and is “fertile and ingenious,” –Pressfield says, the professional has to be alert to win against it.
“He understands that the field alters every day. His goal is not victory (success will come by itself when it wants to) but to handle himself, his insides, as sturdily and steadily as he can.” – the book declares.
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