We have all been told that quitting is a deplorable act that should always be avoided. Our society has this notion that quitters are losers, and a quitter can never win.

I see this as a horrendous fallacy.

I firmly believe that quitting is okay and that failure should always be an option.

The idea is just too heavily ingrained in our society. Going against the grain is tough. We’ve all been told to never quit, and we continue to accept this belief without question.

We have a sense of investment in the things we do. Whether it’s a project, a job, a volunteer organization or a major, it’s likely we’ve sunk a lot of time, money and energy into such activities. If we quit something, there’s a sense of loss, since it seems counterintuitive to abandon something we’ve sunk so much into.

I must say I agree with this frame of mind, but I find there’s a significant upside to the act of quitting, and it has to do with the concept of opportunity costs.

If there’s something you’re involved in that’s causing unhappiness, take time to evaluate what you could achieve if you quit this activity.

Simply put, perform a cost benefit analysis.

If you were to quit something you’re involved in, what are the potential benefits, and what are the costs? For instance, does the cost of college really make it worth the potential salary you can expect to earn?

This approach is difficult. There’s a lot to be considered with tough decisions. I acknowledge how gruesome and demanding this process can be. But one thing I think is clear — if the benefit or potential gain outweighs the cost, then go ahead and quit.

Quitting should be considered more often if a logical approach is embraced. If you quit to pursue something else, it’s likely that you will experience less stress, save money, save time and very likely be more satisfied with your new pursuits.

Don’t be afraid to quit, and don’t adhere to the silly notion that quitting is only detrimental. Many would argue that quitting implies failure, and we all see failure as bad.

We need to change the way society views success and failure. I wholeheartedly believe in quitting and learning from mistakes.

Colin Mummery is a staff writer for The Dakota Student. He can be reached at [email protected].