Episode 24 - Lee Iacocca & Quitting
Quitting should be the easiest thing in the world. So why does it take us so long to throw in the towel? And is there an obvious sign when it’s time to bail?
Quitting a job, a skill, or an academic pursuit, always feels like failure. At best there’s the relief of leaving something awful and grueling in the rear-view mirror, with the knowledge that you’ve wasted at least a little bit of time. At worst, quitting can mean leaving a wreckage of friends, finances, and investments behind you. But quitting is becoming more and more necessary as a skill, since people in the modern economy can expect to hold more jobs, and a greater variety of jobs, throughout their lifetime.
On today's episode we discuss quitting as a skill. Quitting as its own virtue, really. And quitting as an art. We’ll talk about how to gird yourself against the feelings of failure that come with quitting. How to plan ahead to make quitting take less of a toll on you. And we’ll reach back in time and talk about a man who should have quit his job long before he was fired; Lee Iacocca, the man who was so successful Ford fired him out of jealousy. We’ll also discuss the horrifying study that proves that if there’s just a tiny bit of hope, mammals will struggle to the bitter end.
History Links:
https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/henry-ford-ii-fires-lee-iacocca
https://www.thethings.com/why-henry-ford-ii-fired-lee-iacocca-the-full-story/
Science Links:
https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/kidding-ourselves/201405/the-remarkable-power-hope
https://www.amazon.com/Obstacle-Way-Timeless-Turning-Triumph/dp/1591846358