How to Be a Quitter

Summary

The article "How to Be a Quitter" by White Feather discusses the often overlooked benefits and joys of quitting, suggesting that quitting can lead to happiness, peace, and freedom.

Abstract

In a society that relentlessly encourages perseverance, "How to Be a Quitter" offers a refreshing perspective on the value of quitting. The author, White Feather, argues that quitting can be a euphoric and life-affirming experience, citing the example of the profound joy that can come from leaving a job. Despite the cultural stigma attached to quitting, the author emphasizes the potential for personal growth and energy that quitting can bring, especially when disengaging from draining competitions or unhealthy habits. While the author acknowledges the difficulty in quitting certain deeply ingrained aspects of life, they propose that embracing the role of a quitter could lead to a more fulfilling existence. The article also hints at the potential for creating a new niche in the self-help industry by teaching others the art of strategic quitting.

Opinions

The societal pressure to never give up is overwhelming, yet it overlooks the positive aspects of quitting.
Quitting can induce a state of euphoria and provide a sense of freedom and newfound energy.
The author has personal experience with the joy of quitting, particularly in the context of employment.
There is an acknowledgment of the struggle to quit certain long-standing habits or activities, despite the perceived benefits of doing so.
The author critiques the self-help industry for focusing solely on perseverance and ignoring the importance of knowing when and how to quit.
The article suggests that there is a gap in the market for advice on quitting, indicating a potential business opportunity for the author.
The author is contemplating the idea of becoming a 'How to Be a Quitter' guru, highlighting the irony in the self-help industry's lack of guidance on the topic.

It’s not as easy as it sounds

Everywhere we turn in today’s world we are bombarded with encouragement. Don’t give up! Never quit! Persevere! You can do it! Try harder! Never stop struggling! Give it your all! Keep pushing! Don’t be a loser! Win! Win! Win! Don’t be a quitter.

But no one ever talks about the supreme joy of quitting. No one ever talks about the incredible peace and happiness and freedom one can experience by quitting. Quitting can be one of the most joyful experiences of our lives. Why would all those self-help encouragement mongers want to deprive us of that?

Take employment as an example. There is almost no more joyful experience in life than quitting a job. I know. I’ve quit many, many jobs. Heck, one of the best reasons to get a job is to be able to quit it. Quitting a job can put you in a very intense state of euphoria. This euphoric state is available to all of us but most of us are deathly afraid of quitting and therefore we miss out on the euphoria.

Whether it’s business, sports or war, being involved in competition can be thoroughly life-draining. Upon quitting that competition we are suddenly filled to the brim with new life and energy.

I have quit so many things in my life that you would think that I am an expert quitter. But I am not. There is something that my heart tells me I need to quit but I just can’t seem to do it. It is something that I have been doing practically my entire life and I just can’t imagine quitting it. I can sense how much greater my life would be without it but I can’t bring myself to give it up.

I remember quitting smoking years ago. That was incredibly easy compared to what I am thinking of quitting now.

I think I may need some professional help. Right now, though, I can’t afford any professional help. I’m going to have to do it on my own. All the millions of self-help gurus out there are of no help. All their advice is about never quitting. No one is giving encouragement and advice on how to be a quitter.

Until such time as I finally gather the courage to quit all I can do is continue to fantasize about how glorious my life will be once I finally quit. Perhaps that will sustain me for a while longer. After all, there is no urgent need to quit right away. My life doesn’t exactly depend on quitting.

Besides which, I think I just discovered a wide open unfilled niche in the self-help field. No one out there is helping people learn how to be a quitter. Maybe I could be the person to fill that void. Maybe I could teach people how to quit. Perhaps I could become the first ‘How to Be a Quitter’ guru!

Hmm… Maybe I should explore this idea. I can always quit writing later.