Is it ever okay to quit?

From a young age, it is encouraged to keep going and never give up. However, when the going gets tough, is it okay to give up?

The answer to this question is much more complicated than that. Every person has a different reason and scenario for why they quit. Take Neon Gonzales for example, a senior Ranger.

With remote learning happening, most students were struggling with learning online. Gonzales explained they felt “extremely stressed out” and how they felt awkward to constantly teach themselves the material. They eventually came to the conclusion that it was time for them to quit.

When they dropped the class, Gonzales felt “euphoric” and was “finally free of the burden of numbers”. Gonzales holds the opinion that quitting is good. “Sometimes going forward with something only deepens the grave. Quit when something isn’t working for you or find another route to get where you want to be,” they explain.

However, not everyone can stand by this statement. Alex Galvan is also another senior at Redwood who was on the opposing side.

When quarantine hit, Galvan was isolated, like the majority of society. During his time in quarantine, he described that he gave up on himself because “there was a lot going on and it was very overwhelming to be isolated”. This extreme course of action has left a negative impact on him, however.

While Galvan felt “more relaxed”, he knew he was not fulfilling his responsibilities, furthering his unhappiness. This outcome led Galvan to have a different opinion on quitting. “I feel like it’s never okay to quit, because as soon as you quit, you’ve completely lost.” He agrees it is okay to take breaks but, “never completely give up.”

The answer to “is it okay to quit?” is not as clear as it makes it out to be; it is a case by case scenario. The verbiage “quitting” holds a negative connotation that leads others to believe it is a bad thing. AP English and Speech teacher, Mrs. Moore explains that she prefers “walking away” or “letting it go” because “[it] means that you have thought about it, and it is the best thing for you to move forward in your journey towards growth.”

Quitting can help towards an individual’s growth and happiness, such as Gonzales’ case, but there are cases where it needs to be thoroughly thought through. Moore adds if you are dropping something because “it is too hard”, she words it as, “you are walking away with negative feelings… you should take some time to reevaluate your motives for quitting.”