Resistance is often seen as a negative word in business and design. We try to remove resistance as much as possible to make products and services easier to use, easier to buy, and easier to opt-in. 

But resistance is a part of our human nature (or culture). We celebrate resistance, we tell stories and sing songs about it. Think back to your childhood, when you tried picking up a heavy rock (it could be a box or toy too). You bend over to pick it up (desire) and for a tiny moment you doubt you can lift it because of its weight (resistance). Then you feel some elation when you’re strong enough to lift it up, triumphing over the weight of the rock (or box or toy). 

A large part of this process is in our subconscious and lasts only for a moment. We see this process of desire – resistance – triumph in our hunter/gatherer history, man wants meat, man chases deer, man gets meat. We also see it in stories like Indiana Jones – man wants treasure, man faces peril, man gets treasure. It’s everywhere in our culture and experience, so it’s what we expect

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