Why that is sometimes bad advice.
“Never give up.” We hear it all the time — on social media, at school, and in the workplace. It sounds strong, inspiring, like the ultimate recipe for success. But what if that advice is actually hurting you?
From a young age, we’re taught that perseverance is always a virtue. That you should keep pushing toward your goals, even when it’s draining you mentally or financially. Quitting feels like failure. But let’s be honest: how often do you hear someone say after something falls apart, “I wish I had given up sooner — it would have saved me so much pain”? Hardly ever.
And yet… sometimes, quitting early is exactly what you need.
In our Western culture, giving up equals failure. Weakness. So we persevere, often longer than is good for us.
But sometimes, walking away is the smartest choice you can make. The key is knowing when — and making that choice with clarity, not out of despair.
Why giving up is hard
By nature, people are programmed in such a way that they estimate the chances of a new project or new product too optimistically. Once they have taken that path with a certain goal in mind, it is oh so difficult to adjust that goal.
