I was shopping in the supermarket today, and witnessed a parent forcing a child to do something that was clearly not in the best interest of either of them. However, the parent had set down a path, and didn't want to give in. Honestly, I don't know the whole circumstances, so it wasn't my place to judge either of them, but it did give me a cause to pause.
It encouraged me reflect on a few people in my life that I'd classify as strong-willed or stubborn. What came to mind was an old proverb or ancient saying (some attribute it to Buddha):
"No matter how far down the wrong road you've gone, still turn back."
While anyone would probably instantly agree with this saying, it's another thing to apply it in our lives.
Why would we continue to travel down a wrong road? Sometimes it's just a matter of recognizing we are going down the wrong road, other times it may be a matter of swallowing our pride. Occasionally it might be a temporary escape from reality to allow us to mentally process something, or to even emotionally see how we feel. Or we might actually get some personal temporary "pay off" like a short-term or false good feeling as a way to cope.
Either way, I'd still suggest to decide if one is actually traveling down the wrong road, and if so, realize that the longer the walk back, the more energy, time, cost, and toll it will take on us to get back. That might be the impetus that gives us the strength and courage to turn around when we really know we should.
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