The ideology that quitting is the easy way out is making its way through the hearts of pessimistic human beings everywhere. However, I have to disagree with the latest trend in thought. Quitting isn’t easy, and it surely isn’t an action worth looking down upon. Society is increasingly flustered by this “winning” mentality, a potentially damaging mindset.
There is wisdom in knowing when to cut your losses and focus your attention on a project that has more potential for success. Stubbornly hanging onto failure doesn’t make you more successful, it prevents you from achieving success in another area.
There is certainly something to be said for not quitting just because things are hard. But, if you have taken an honest appraisal of your surroundings and made the educated decision that failure is imminent — end on your own terms and consider what you learned the success.
Science is filled with examples of failures that turned into success. Throughout scientific experimentation, many hypotheses have been proven wrong; which our society has someone managed to re-brand failure. However, it’s not failure — it’s a completed journey that didn’t end the way you hoped.
Not getting what you want is not the same as failure.
Not quitting has become a moral value when it’s really just a result, and results are not morally specific. Even if it was — which I steadfastly maintain it is not — what is the moral value in staying in a bad relationship? If you stay in said relationship — read: don’t quit! — are you really morally superior to the person who ended their relationship and made themselves available to meet someone who makes them happy?
Deciding whether or not to quit isn’t something that should be taken lightly. If I were being honest, I’d have to confess that there could be a moral value in giving up too soon. To hark back to the relationship analogy, quitting the relationship immediately following the first squabble could cost you the future benefits of said relationship.
In any given situation there are always three options:
1. Quit. Self
explanatory.
2. Don’t Quit. Again,
self explanatory.
3. Evaluate whether
or not continuing
(read: to quit, or not
to quit) is in your best
interest.
Frankly, the third option is where you should be all the time. Life is a never ending evaluation of options and choosing what path to take separates failures from success. Abdicating that decision process and just continuing along the chosen path because you buy into the adage that quitting is bad is just, well, stupid.
And isn’t being stupid worse than quitting?
Listen, I’m not saying you should give up on your dreams, but it might be a good start to finding a better dream. One you’ll actually achieve, rather than just “not quit.”
