When Vontae Davis walked off the field at halftime, the Buffalo Bills were down 28-6 to the Los Angeles Chargers. But instead of huddling with teammates, the Bills cornerback quit football entirely, right then and there. Later that evening, Davis announced his retirement on social media, saying “today on the field, reality hit me hard and fast: I shouldn’t be out there anymore.” Many were outraged, including Bills linebacker Lorzenzo Alexander: “It’s just completely disrespectful to his teammates.” But some disagreed, saying Davis was “a goddamn working class hero.”
When to Stick with Something — and When to Quit
How long should you stick with something, be it a project, task, or job? A look at the research shows that, while there are many benefits to perseverance, there are also downsides. For example, not giving up can mean people persist even when they have nothing to gain, wasting time and energy. Remaining fixated on long cherished goals can also mean ignoring better alternatives. Being unwilling to let go can lead you to be perpetually dissatisfied — even when you end up getting what they thought they wanted. And, finally, a resistance to giving up on goals can even negatively affect your health. So when you ask yourself whether to stick with a task or goal, or to let it go, weigh the potential to continue learning and developing incrementally against the costs, dangers, and myopia which can come with stubborn perseverance.