Any act that derives from our higher nature instead of our lower will elicit Resistance, according to Steven Pressfield in his book Do the Work: Overcome Resistance and Get Out of Your Own Way. Resistance includes fear, self-doubt, procrastination, addiction, distraction, timidity, ego and narcissism, self-loathing and perfectionism, and it is the worst enemy of the artist or entrepreneur; the second worst is rational thought which wants to control our creativity; and the third worst is family and friends who want us to remain as we are.
On the other hand, the allies of the artist and entrepreneur are stupidity, stubbornness, blind faith, passion, assistance and friends and family. The book goes on to describe how resistance might be encountered and countered at the beginning, middle and end of any project. You can defeat resistance in the beginning of a project by starting before you are ready, and at the end of the project by having the courage to ship your finished work.
The themes in the book are very similar to those in the author’s previous book The War of Art and to those in Seth Godin’s book Poke the Box. That does not make them any less relevant. Nearly everyone struggles with one or more of the negative influences which constitute the Resistance, and as a consequence every family, school, workplace and country suffers an enormous loss of productivity. The writing style might be a bit too confrontational for some readers, but the underlying message is an important one.