I think the emphasis our society puts on not giving up is damaging. It seems to be the central theme to many children’s shows or movies where the main character heroically pushes through his or her fears, doesn’t give up and triumphs at the end.
I think this leads to the horrible conclusion that quitting is the same thing as failing, and no one wants to be labeled a failure. But in my opinion, quitting your battles is not the same as losing the war. Even if you’re trying to move a mountain, you can’t just do it all in just one day. There has to be a time where you throw in the towel, call it a day and get back to work the next.
Pulling yourself out of a football game because you hurt your leg doesn’t mean you failed as an athlete. Quitting on a failing startup doesn’t mean you’re a failed entrepreneur.
This misconception does us damage by motivating us to push through injuries, to run past the pain and do long lasting damage to our bodies. This makes us “suck it up” and stay in harmful relationships thinking that better times are just around the corner if we just don’t give up on our partner. This turns you into the employee who has devoted the past 20 years of their lives working for a corporation that they’re not happy with or produces zombie startups that will never be successful.
To get to better places, we have to know when to quit and as long as we stay true to our long term goals, quitting is okay. Know your limits. Know when to call it a day. But do keep on trying.
