"Society glamorizes persistence. If you can jump through hoops, walk across coals, or persevere regardless of seemingly insurmountable obstacles, you are a hero. Quit, and you face judgment from others, and even worse, from yourself. We romanticize stories of entrepreneurs who failed multiple times before succeeding, athletes who pushed through injury, and couples who weathered decades of adversity. The message is clear: Quitting is for the meek."
"Your brain operates on a predictive system. When you experience or achieve results that exceed expectations, your brain triggers the synthesis and release of neuromodulators like dopamine and serotonin, which increase drive and make you feel better about what you are doing. Neuromodulation doesn't happen only when you receive a positive outcome; it occurs when value calculations signal the difference between expected and actual outcomes (Schultz, 2016)."
Society glamorizes persistence and treats quitting as a moral failure, elevating stories of repeated struggle and triumph. Neurological reward systems evaluate expected versus actual outcomes and release neuromodulators like dopamine and serotonin when results exceed expectations, increasing motivation. When outcomes consistently fall short, negative reward prediction errors prompt the brain to recalibrate and reduce effort. Strategic disengagement protects mental health by accepting endings in jobs, relationships, or beliefs rather than continuing futile investment. Past investment should not determine future commitment. Recognizing diminishing returns and choosing to cut ties can improve long-term well-being and daily functioning.
Read at Psychology Today
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]