You're not being persistent, you're obsessing; and no, they aren't the same thing.

Obsessive vs. Persistent is a “Core Confusion” - (whereby something looks like something, but it’s really something else & has an entirely different effect.)

Persistence is determined to achieve a goal of some kind by any means necessary. The person deploys a variety of ways to eventually achieve their destination & will stop at nothing until they do.

Obsessive looks similar, however, it has an unhealthy & often times, delusional & compulsive focus on a person, place or thing. They operate from the false premise that if they accomplish it, it will solve their emotional problem that lay beneath the obsession.

If they get the girl or guy, they might say things like “I’ll finally be respected or be cool if I get them”. It’s a respect issue or the need of being seen as cool that they are really after.… or if they are set out to make a bunch of money, they might say, “I’ll show you I’m worthy & not a piece of shit”. It’s not about money, it’s about not feeling of value.

To the persistent, they don’t have that component of solving any issue, let alone an emotional one. They are driven by passion. They are also in relationship with whatever they are pursuing, constantly monitoring & measuring an appropriate pursuit according to the responses they are receiving.

With obsessing, they aren’t in a healthy relationship with whatever they are pursuing. It’s more about what they are feeling & less about considering the other.

There are a lot of real genuine feelings that lay underneath the obsessive thoughts & behaviors, however they aren’t being addressed. And when these deep feelings aren’t being considered & connected with, the obsessive thoughts continue to get stronger until you’re finally intractable.