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A review by saltygalreads
Quitting: A Life Strategy: The Myth of Perseverance—and How the New Science of Giving Up Can Set You Free by Julia Keller, Julia Keller
4.0
When I saw this title from GCP, I knew I had to read it! I love a good non-fiction book - if you haven't tried them I highly recommend it as a great "palate-cleanser" and a reset, especially after a heavy read or during a book hangover.
"Quitting" gives the word, and the action, a make-over by demonstrating to the reader that dogged perseverance is sometimes harmful and non-productive, while quitting just might be the healthier alternative. Dr. Julia Keller explains the history of how refusing to quit became the ultimate compliment and quitting became shameful. "My father used to say, 'You've got to have stick-to-itiveness.'" This line got me in the feels because it is, verbatim, what my own father has always said, and still says.
She lays out a compelling case for changing our attitude toward quitting, and helps the reader to understand that it is not solely a dramatic, burn-it-all-down approach. Although this is how society conventionally thinks of quitting, it can be a more thoughtful, gradual approach, or even a partial one, a "pivot" to something similar but different. Interspersed through the chapters are numerous anecdotes of people quitting activities or life choices that simply don't provide the rewards expected. Once we can view perseverance without the "veneer of virtue", we are better able to let go and change course without the voice of judgement inside our heads.
Of course, Dr. Keller does not argue that quitting is a universally sound approach, acknowledging that perseverance is the quality that has allowed so many achievements to come into existence. What she does argue, mostly successfully, is that never, ever giving up is not about virtue, and quitting is not about the lack of it. She points out that there is a time and place for both, and that quitting should be viewed neutrally, as a valid alternative when something simply is not serving us. As she notes in the introduction, "it's a gesture of generosity toward yourself and your future".
This is a relatively quick read and an enjoyable one. The only recommendation for improvement I could make is that perhaps the inclusion of a little empirical research might give the book and the argument more heft. Thanks to GCP Balance for the copy!
"Quitting" gives the word, and the action, a make-over by demonstrating to the reader that dogged perseverance is sometimes harmful and non-productive, while quitting just might be the healthier alternative. Dr. Julia Keller explains the history of how refusing to quit became the ultimate compliment and quitting became shameful. "My father used to say, 'You've got to have stick-to-itiveness.'" This line got me in the feels because it is, verbatim, what my own father has always said, and still says.
She lays out a compelling case for changing our attitude toward quitting, and helps the reader to understand that it is not solely a dramatic, burn-it-all-down approach. Although this is how society conventionally thinks of quitting, it can be a more thoughtful, gradual approach, or even a partial one, a "pivot" to something similar but different. Interspersed through the chapters are numerous anecdotes of people quitting activities or life choices that simply don't provide the rewards expected. Once we can view perseverance without the "veneer of virtue", we are better able to let go and change course without the voice of judgement inside our heads.
Of course, Dr. Keller does not argue that quitting is a universally sound approach, acknowledging that perseverance is the quality that has allowed so many achievements to come into existence. What she does argue, mostly successfully, is that never, ever giving up is not about virtue, and quitting is not about the lack of it. She points out that there is a time and place for both, and that quitting should be viewed neutrally, as a valid alternative when something simply is not serving us. As she notes in the introduction, "it's a gesture of generosity toward yourself and your future".
This is a relatively quick read and an enjoyable one. The only recommendation for improvement I could make is that perhaps the inclusion of a little empirical research might give the book and the argument more heft. Thanks to GCP Balance for the copy!