Hello there friends welcome back my name is Stephanie Safarian and you're listening to episode

342 of sustainable minimalists a twice weekly show about intentional and eco-minimalist living.

On today's show, we're discussing quitting.

Our society tends to have an anti-quit bias, doesn't it?

No one ever wants to be called a quitter. We tend to want to believe

thanks to our rugged individualist origins that if we just work hard enough for long enough if we just

persevere we will succeed. But my guest today argues that while animals in the wild know when and how to quit,

humans not so much.

And worse, our misguided reverence for perseverance, our white-knuckle grip on the idea that our destiny lies exclusively

in our own two hands, often keeps us in the wrong places for longer than we should be there.

This is one of those intentional living episodes that I'm bringing you today

in which we take an idea that is conventionally regarded one way and we flip it.

We turn it on its head, we take things and shake them up and turn it upside down.

Today we are questioning whether we can and should expand upon our understanding of quitting so as to live better.

Today I'm speaking with Pulitzer Prize winning journalist Julia Keller on her upcoming book, Quitting, A Life Strategy.

Now the book is not out yet my friends it doesn't come out until April but if

after listening to today's episode you just love Julia as much as I do and you need to read this book you can

pre-order it link is in the show notes and before I bring you Julia a quick note a very important note

Tom Brady does come up in my conversation with Julia today. We use Tom as an example of someone who won't quit,

but please know that that is because this episode was recorded

a full 12 hours before Tom Brady announced his latest decision, yet again, to retire from football. Julia I am really thrilled to talk to you today. How are you?

I'm very good, thank you. A little cold. Same. It comes with the winter territory, doesn't it?

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