Obstinate

Is it fine to be obstinate at times or we should always remain open and flexible?

It is a debatable topic, though I do believe that in certain situations, it might be better to be obstinate or stubborn rather than complying by what others are saying. For instance, if you are confident about a skillset that you have or a new venture that you have started, however, others are not that supporting, it might be alright to be stubborn about your belief and give it a shot, rather than being dejected hearing others' opinions. 

Often, we attach too much importance to what others say, especially when we encounter failure. We, anyway, at that point have self-doubt, but criticism and biased opinions may do more damage if we do not stand our ground. Of course, we need to also not have our heads into the cloud and become oblivion to the reality as well. If something isn't working out at all, and has somehow breached all the threshold of your patience and risk appetite, it might be time to quit too. 

Being overtly stubborn doesn't help anyone, more so in a relationship. People get so stuck up in their own views and opinions, and think that they have the best solution to everything, that they overlook others opinions completely. And, that's where the problem starts. 

The idea is to maintain a delicate balance between what you believe is right and uphold it, and be open to a reality check from people wise enough to give a balanced opinion. 

Fun fact, fake stubbornness may make you desirable to your partner! As for me, that don't impress me much...