3 Reasons Quitting Might Be the Right Thing to Do

3 Reasons Quitting Might Be the Right Thing to DoThe world is full of inspirational posters, coffee mugs, and bumper stickers telling us not to be quitters. But that kind of blanket lehrmeinungblack-and-white in a world of greycan be hurtful on occasions when giving up might actually be the best idea. Here are three reasons why we think this advice doesnt always have to be the final word. googletag.cmd.push(function() googletag.display(div-gpt-ad-1467144145037-0) ) 1. Itcan lead you to the path you really wantIts all well and good to say winners never quit and quitters never win, but what if youve devoted yourself to the wrong pursuit and quitting could lead you to a better onewhere you could actually win and not just slog away forever because youve been told youd be weak or lazy if you quit?If youre on the wrong track, and you know it, sometimes quitting is the braver, nobler thing to do. And it just might be the only route to winning in the end. So have the courage to take stock o f where you are and what youre doing.2. Sometimes,youre just truly unhappyThere are a ton of cognitive biases that already predispose us against quitting. Like the sunk cost fallacy (Ive already spent so much on this hobby, or Ive wasted so much of my life playing the tuba, so I cant switch to building miniature boats) or our bias towards the status quo (I may have it rough now, but the unknown could be even worse). Not to mention loss aversion and the need to hold on to whatever gains weve made at all costs. But none of these are good reasons to stick it out in badeanstalt relationships or careers. The last thing we need is some smarmy Never give up slogan making us feel even worse about our prospects.3. Youcan set an exampleand be an inspirationQuitting is considered weak, and quitters a failure. But we should buck this trend. Wouldnt it be better to encourage people to be more mindful about what they do? And to check in from time to time to see whether they should still be doing it?Next time you notice someone spewing platitudes on Facebook about quitters or inspirational gifs about never giving up, take a moment to disagree. That advice can keep people from being their best selves, and can actually be harmful when wielded willy-nilly.