Yep. It is understanding that the sunk cost fallacy is not just about business decisions but is also very relevant in our personal lives.
The freakonomics podcast did a great episode on the subject.
Hell, even Kenny Rogers wrote a song about it.
You’ve got to know when to hold 'em
Know when to fold 'em
Know when to walk away
And know when to run
Poker player Annie Duke has a book on this, it’s worth the read.
Quit: The Power of Knowing When to Walk Away
While this is probably true, the unspoken assumption is that you have some kind of safety net that allows you to take that risk.
I would argue that: People who have the luxury to quit when things don’t work out tend to win at life, not because they quit, but because they had the luxury in the first place.
Some of us quit even without the safety net
Is it stupid? Absolutely. I didn’t have white hairs before I did that, stress was insane.
Did it work out? After almost a year, yes.
Was it worth it? Also yes
It’s not necessarily having the means to do so immediately, but having the ability to make it work ANYWAY, and having the mental fortitude and strength of will to live through what can only be described as a living hell of stress
I’m aware there are many people that will never work for, but more probably can than they think
It’s definitely important to know when to quit, but it’s also important to know when to fight. For example, I’m in the tech industry working for a AAA videogame company. I could leave, but I’m in a luxurious position where I don’t get harassed or put in dangerous situations. I also know that the rest of the tech industry is full of the same bullshit. So, I’m choosing to instead fight back and change the status quo.
Good luck, I hope you succeed. I know that changing jobs in the industry can be a case of out of the frying pan.
But personally, I have found that organisational culture is really hard to change.
It sure as hell is, which is why I’m not alone! We will be a huge union in tech when we go public, we’ll also have a ton of bargaining power.
So, I’m choosing to instead fight back and change the status quo.
Fight what? Why would you want to fight a luxurious position where you don’t get harassed?
There are a lot of issues. I’m not personally experiencing harassment, but several coworkers have. We’re way underpaid in the industry, we’re especially fighting against RTO, and communication from management is awful. Retaliation is common. The company has been engaging in illegal union busting. We have a lot to fight against.
Can you refer me for a job. I am a dev manager with a decade of experience. And I’m a Marxist. I lead the change from within. Looking because RTO only benefits shiity managers.
I’d love to bring in a salt, but unfortunately we’re on a hiring freeze and have mandated hybrid
I have walked out of damn near every job I’ve had so far, always when they think that attempting to screw me is a good idea
“Oh, you’re one of our best drivers, flawless record, history of cleaning up other drivers messes, and we even specifically called you to hire you back after you left because we knew we could trust you? We’re gonna file this blown oil filter as an accident that was your fault, no raise for you this year”
Got into a literal shouting match with my ex boss after that one, holy fuuuuuck
Yup, it sucks being a genuinely passionate and hard worker, because that just means that inevitably, they’re going to try and take advantage of you. And then you’ve gotta quit, because there’s no coming back from that. It’s happened to me twice and I’m seeing the early warning signs at my current job
Have you ever heard the adage “If someone is an asshole, they’re an asshole, if everyone is an asshole, you’re the asshole”. Its sort of like that