“Quitters never prosper” is a lie that could be holding you back.
Published in · 7 min read · Apr 24, 2021
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Growing up, I was told in a hundred different ways that being a “quitter” was one of the worst things you could be. If you were seen as a person who gave up, it meant that your character was flawed — weak, lazy, incompetent. Quitting a sport that you signed up for? It just wasn’t done. Quitting a marriage you’d taken vows to uphold? It was seen as destroying the family. We were supposed to keep trying — no matter what.
I see now that they were all trying to instill certain values in us — work ethic, determination, resilience, and commitment. But the way these values were instilled taught us guilt, shame, and a stubborn refusal to move on even when we should. For many of us who grew up with this message, it can be hard to quit without feeling like a total failure.
But whoever said quitting was failing? That’s the point: everyone did for a long time. And the message isn’t gone either. It’s still out there. It’s in our work culture, our school system, and even in our homes. Don’t give up. But what if there’s a very good reason to do so?
