People who drive faster than me are maniacs. People who drive slower than me are idiots.

I remember back in secondary school in the early 2000s, this was the literal textbook example of how the media frames things. The teachers’ union was up to some industrial action at the time, which made it all the more relevant.

“The union firmly insisted on their original position” “The union stubbornly insisted on their original position”

Consider also confidence vs arrogance.

“The minister confidently stated the dispute will be over soon” “The minister arrogantly stated the dispute will be over soon”

I see these as different words. Stubborn means unwilling to listen. Determined means willing to listen and will incorporate what they hear into their goal.

It’s the difference between “fuck you, no” and “I hear what you’re saying, and I’ve considered it, and I’ve decided: fuck you, no”.

And if it’s something you don’t really care about, they’re meticulous or pedantic.

I am firm.

You are stubborn.

He is pig-headed.

IMO it’s more how and mostly why they’re dealing with whatever it is. Is the person ignoring any advice to the contrary and not accepting any proper conversation about it? He’s stubborn. Is the person listening to what he’s being told, possibly adjusting his methods, but staying on the goal, where the goal is still sensible? Determined.

Mind you, someone who doesn’t like what the determined person is doing, even if it is right, might falsely say he’s stubborn, with the goal of discrediting what he’s doing, and someone who’s stubborn will paint himself as determined in order to boost the image of what he’s doing, so I understand where the thought comes from.

Women are stubborn, men are determined.

A nice corollary to Taleb’s 'People reserve standard compliments for those who do not threaten their pride; the others they often praise by calling “arrogant” '.

I disagree here. Someone could be doing something you very much would like to happen but from experience you know its a fools errand.