Inspiration
What Is a Quiet Quitter?
Do you quit or quietly quit?
All of us have given up or quit something in life. Likely many times. But did you know there is another way to quit besides doing it outright? A relatively new term for a different way to quit is “quiet quitting.” Are you familiar with this other way?
Read on to learn more.
Quit or quietly quit
An economist, Mark Boldger, coined the term quiet quitting in 2009. While it hasn’t made it to the dictionary yet, it is easy to describe.
To quietly quit a job is not to quit literally but to do no more than asked. You only do the minimum necessary, never go the extra mile, and put forth as little effort as possible. It is what some of us call coasting.
Do you know anyone who has quietly quit their job? The likelihood is high. A recent Gallup survey showed that 50% of full and part-time employees were “quiet quitters.”
The shortage of workers with the added burden of quiet quitters in this inflation-ridden economy does not bode well for business. Where have all of the dedicated, hard-working Americans gone?
Is it because of the pandemic, lousy attitudes, laziness, the government, people feeling entitled, or something else? For many, some combination of these is likely creating the issue.
The problem with quiet quitters is they impact not only business but every area of life. How many married couples experience quiet quitting by one or both partners? Considering that about half of marriages end in divorce, this plague appears to be hitting work and married life similarly.
What about in other areas of life, such as school? Some graduate by the skin of their teeth. How many “friends” do you have that are friends in name only? The same goes for those we call neighbors, brothers, sisters, and a host of others that will barely lift a finger to help and will never go the extra mile.
Besides a lot of lousy attitudes, there seems to be a great deal of compromising going on as well!
Yes, quiet quitters are bad news for businesses and personal lives, but what about those who refuse to quietly quit? Do you see the abundant opportunity for us?
“A quitter never wins and a winner never quits.” Napoleon Hill (1883–1970)
Quiet quitting creates opportunity
Are you familiar with the idiom:
“One man’s loss is another man’s gain.”
Those who quietly quit open the door of opportunity wide for those who will do their job and more. Can you imagine one out of every two people you meet has already quietly quit?
If you are willing to do your job and do it well, there has never been a better time to shine. The opportunities lying before you are many. All you need to do is go the extra mile to stand out from the crowd. It has never been easier!
Another idiom to take to heart is:
“You don’t lose unless you give up.”
Don’t be a quitter! By quitting, even quietly, you join the ranks of those who compromise their values and character. They also lack responsibility and maturity. Who wants to live like that? It sounds like the life of a loser.
For the vast majority of you spending your valuable time reading this — that is not who you are! You are better than that!
Final thoughts
With so many people quietly quitting, the huge loss of character saddens me. There was a time in our country when doing more was the norm. No one had to ask; you just did it. Fortunately, some of these people are still around, but for how long?
It isn’t easy to remain an optimist in such an environment, but I believe people will wake up one day. Common sense and character are simply in a down cycle and will return eventually. People will mature and begin taking responsibility for what they do and how they do it. That is my hope, and that is my dream.
Take the following words of wisdom to heart, and you will never give up, never give in, never quit, and never lose.
“Never give in. Never give in. Never, never, never, never — in nothing, great or small, large or petty — never give in, except to convictions of honour and good sense. Never yield to force. Never yield to the apparently overwhelming might of the enemy.” Winston Churchill (1874–1965)
Be of good character. Stand strong. Go the extra mile and do what it takes to do the job well. Nothing can stop you from doing and becoming your best but you!
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Bill Abbate Leadership Writer and Editor in ILLUMINATION
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