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ADHD: Preserving the Distinction Between Perseverance and Perseveration
We usually consider perseverance a positive trait and the antithesis of distractible, getting-off-track ADHD behavior. Perseverance consists of continuing with a difficult task in the face of ongoing adversity or opposition. A 2017 political example of perseverance was memorialized on t-shirts and coffee mugs as “Nevertheless, she persisted..” after Elizabeth Warren kept on with her line of questioning in a senate confirmation hearing despite resistance from her colleagues. However, contrary to expectations, most individuals with ADHD actually do demonstrate perseverance in at least some activities, in the form of hyper-focusing.
If I were to choose one aspect of ADHD that befuddles and exasperates observers more than any other, it would be hyper-focusing: becoming so engrossed in a topic or activity that one becomes oblivious to other sights, sounds, and sensations. Hyper-focused individuals immerse themselves so fully in their project that they can become unaware of their surroundings. They may listen to a podcast so intently that they drive to the next city rather than exiting at their highway destination. They may still be typing at their computer console when the janitor visits cubicles to empty trash containers at midnight, not knowing that everyone else left the building hours earlier. Or they may nod encouragingly…
