Can I or Can’t I?

Abstract

Sometimes, we quit things because we really don't want to do them anymore. For instance, I quit piano when I was still in elementary school because I didn't enjoy it. I knew I could keep getting better if I tried, but I felt only joy on the day I knew I would never have to play another note, and I've had no remorse since. But very often, we quit things because we don't think we can do them even if we try. I quit taking math in college, because some part of me doubted my ability to succeed beyond multivariable calculus. I loved derivatives and integrals and everything I was learning at that point—and I especially loved my math professor, Robin Gottlieb. Yet the idea of progressing to upper-level courses was terrifying. Quitting is sometimes the right decision, but in the moment, when we declare, “I'm done! No more for me!” it can be very difficult to know whether we're quitting for the right reasons.