The Upside of Quitting

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You know the bromide: winners never quit and quitters never win. To which Freakonomics Radio says, "Are you sure?" Sometimes quitting is strategic, and sometimes it's the best thing you can do. It's all about opportunity cost: when you're doing one thing, you can't be doing another. So when do you quit the one and start the other? We take a look at broad survey of quitting data, and talk everyone from aspiring baseball players to prostitutes about quitting after years of hard work, preparation, and chasing big earnings. We find people from each group on the verge of quitting -- and some who couldn't be happier they already have. (Also, Dubner is a serial quitter: Catholicism, a rock-band career, the New York Times...)

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