The Case for Quitting: The Surprising Benefits of Opting Out

Summary

If your relationship, hobby, job or sport just isn’t working for you, award-winning New York Times editor and producer Lindsay Crouse offers revolutionary advice: Quit.

We live in a society that champions perseverance, sweat, and tenacity no matter the cost. But what if our relentlessness results in failure, sunken costs, and poor health, rather than success, happiness, and vitality?

Lindsay Crouse, an award-winning reporter and lively writer for the New York Times, argues that our society has tricked us into thinking that endurance is an ultimate achievement, despite the surprising cost to ourselves.

She delves into the science of perseverance versus walking away from aspects of our lives, and relays a diverse blend of compelling personal stories, historical examples, and psychological insights—from the origins of the self-help genre to Bear Bryant’s “hell camp” to the Finnish concept of sisu, resilience—to answer such questions as:

• When is it time to let go of unproductive efforts?
• How does quitting make new opportunities?
• When are relationships growing and when are they just a dangerous rut?

For anyone at a crossroads in their personal or professional lives, The Case for Quitting is a groundbreaking guide that ruptures our core beliefs. Career seekers, athletes, entrepreneurs, and anyone exploring new opportunities or feeling stuck in unproductive routines will appreciate its insights on the courage and—importantly—strategy involved in quitting.