What makes this wisdom particularly sharp is that it flips our instinct backward—we're wired to resist what threatens us, yet that very resistance often keeps the old order alive by keeping it central to our attention. A person quitting smoking succeeds not by obsessing over cigarettes but by building morning runs, new friendships in smoke-free spaces, and a clearer sense of smell; the old habit withers from neglect rather than white-knuckled opposition. The insight cuts deeper than simple optimism: it suggests that our enemies gain strength when we make them our primary focus, and that creation is always more powerful than critique.