I came across an image recently of a distance runner with a message that told readers to persevere（坚持） at all costs. It reminded me of a conversation I had. My colleague' s teaching assistant was asking for my advice. He wanted to know when to quit something. He described how he' d been playing an online game with people for some time. It hadn' t been very fun lately, but there was always that small chance of a reward （upgraded equipment, etc）.
I inquired further about his relationship with the players and his gains from the game. I then discussed the sunk cost dilemma, a concept I studied in advanced school due to its personal impact. In high school, I applied to five universities, planning to choose the cheapest one. SUU offered the best scholarship, and after paying a $100 commitment fee, I heard back from another school with an even better scholarship. Despite the new offer, I stayed committed to SUU, believing that switching schools, even if it meant acknowledging the " wasted" $ 100, would have been the wiser financial choice.
A rational （理性的） decision maker is not ruled by past investments, but weighs future outcomes. I didn' t focus on future outcomes when weighing colleges. I focused on the money I sunk into SUU. Rather than evaluating future career options, I focused on the fact that I' d already taken elementary education courses.
I' m not the only one that' s fallen prey to this. I wear clothes I dislike simply because I spent money on them （and that money won' t come back）. Unhealthy relationships last be- cause of the invested time （leading to more unhappy years）. However, time, effort, or money that you' ve invested doesn' t mean you should continue. Society often stresses perseverance— never quit, never give up, don' t waste. However, only you know your right path. Walking away can be the toughest choice. You might realize a path you' re on is no longer the right one or never was.
