Knowing When to Give Up Can Help You Succeed
Research-backed reasons why “Never Give Up” might not be good advice — and how you can counter it.
A few days ago, I was having a conversation with a friend regarding a book I’d gifted him. He told me he couldn’t start it right away because he was halfway through another book. But this book was taking a long time to finish because he wasn’t enjoying it.
“If you’re not enjoying it, quit,” I told him. “Start the one I gave you. It’s awesome.”
My friend couldn’t comprehend what was so easy for me. He said he has this compulsive need to finish every book, movie series, project or commitment he started. That he just can’t function if he leaves things halfway done, even if that means torturing himself to complete them.
Whether it’s smaller commitments like books and movies or bigger ones like a job you no longer enjoy, the issue is deep-rooted in how you were encouraged to keep trying as a child. It doesn’t help that most popular websites always convey the idea that successful people never give up.
But is “not giving up” the only road to success?
As this study establishes, “the notion that persistence is essential for success and happiness is deeply embedded in popular and scientific…
