The Balance of Perseverance and Quitting

Giving up can be painful. That's why we need to talk about it. Today: stories about glitchy apps, leaky paint cans, broken sculptures — and a quest for the perfect bowl of ramen. (Part three of a four-part series.)

• SOURCES:
  • John Boykin, website designer and failed paint can re-inventor.
  • Angela Duckworth, host of No Stupid Questions, co-founder of Character Lab, and professor of psychology at the University of Pennsylvania.
  • Amy Edmondson, professor of leadership management at Harvard Business School.
  • Helen Fisher, former senior research fellow at The Kinsey Institute and former chief science advisor to Match.com.
  • Eric von Hippel, professor of technological innovation at M.I.T.’s Sloan School of Management.
  • Jill Hoffman, founder and C.E.O. of Path 2 Flight.
  • Gary Klein, cognitive psychologist and pioneer in the field of naturalistic decision making.
  • Steve Levitt, host of People I (Mostly) Admire, co-author of the Freakonomics books, and professor of economics at the University of Chicago.
  • Joseph O’Connell, artist.
  • Mike Ridgeman, government affairs manager at the Wisconsin Bike Fed.
  • Melanie Stefan, professor of physiology at Medical School Berlin.
  • Travis Thul, vice president for Student Success and Engagement at Minnesota State University, Mankato.

• RESOURCES:
  • “Data Snapshot: Tenure and Contingency in US Higher Education,” by Glenn Colby (American Association of University Professors, 2023).
  • Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance, by Angela Duckworth (2016).
  • “Entrepreneurship and the U.S. Economy,” by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (2016).
  • “A C.V. of Failures,” by Melanie Stefan (Nature, 2010).
  • Ramen Now! official website.

• EXTRAS: 
  • “How to Succeed at Failing,” series by Freakonomics Radio (2023).
  • “Annie Duke Thinks You Should Quit,” by People I (Mostly) Admire (2022).
  • “How Do You Know When It’s Time to Quit?” by No Stupid Questions (2020).
  • “Honey, I Grew the Economy,” by Freakonomics Radio (2019).
  • “The Upside of Quitting,” by Freakonomics Radio (2011).