Some time ago, I stumbled upon the concept of holding steady, which I instinctively translate as staying still or hanging on.
We are constantly pushed to react to whatever provokes us, whatever triggers unresolved tensions within us, often leading to automatic responses. But there is a certain pleasure in not reacting—in waiting, in allowing an interlocutor to reach the real conclusion of their argument, even across multiple interactions, even when we sense that their thoughts are not yet fully formed. This, in a way, is also a way of caring about the growth of the other person. If you have ever taken a yoga class, you may have encountered this practice of non-action—or perhaps not.
I believe that, in a world as conflictual as the one we live in, it is useful to resist the urge to overreact. Not feeding into conflicts can, in itself, be an act of resistance—one that helps create the space necessary for opposing forces to evolve, for perspectives to integrate rather than continuously clash.
On La7 last Friday, Zagrebelsky spoke about how today, oppositions are increasingly radical: what I want and what you want are no longer just different, they are exactly opposite. Thinking about the issue of abortion, which I wrote about in my last article, I recognize a situation where I have a clear stance, one that could easily push me toward outrage. And yet, I see this as an opportunity to practice holding steady—to resist the trap of reacting impulsively, to avoid making the kind of missteps that those who seek to undermine certain rights would love to see. Looking at the reactions around me, I don’t think these missteps will happen. If anything, I sense a growing resilience.
In the world of Venture Capital, the better you are at holding steady—which does not mean inaction—the better you are overall. The more you can take the hits, absorb them, and keep your focus, the stronger your resilience becomes. And with resilience comes creativity—the ability to find ways to maneuver around challenges and outplay them in the next round.
A colleague showed me a photo the other day.
