Never, never, never, never, never give up

If I hear/see that one more time, I’ll puke in my wastebasket.

What bullshit is this? Who came up with this? Who thought this was a good idea? Oh, Churchill? Right, him. The guy who was leading the charge in World War II before Pearl Harbor was a glimmer in our tears. He gets a pass.

You could come back at me and say:

“Changing your tactic isn’t giving up.” That’s true.

“Retreating now to fight another day isn’t giving up.” That’s true, too.

But maybe, if you are stacking up too many “nevers” to modify your “give up,” you should probably rethink your goal or at least think about it in realistic terms. Without context, platitudes and proverbs mean less than nothing.

Sometimes, giving up is simply breaking out of a jail you built for yourself.

13 thoughts on “Never, never, never, never, never give up

  • February 21, 2011 at 11:13 am
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    Never give up doesn’t mean you can’t revamp, revitalize nor change a tactic. It just means don’t give up.

    Frankly, I love the ‘Never give up, never surrender’ line better. Yet, it doesn’t tell you how to do it. The tact you take is entirely your choice.

    Lynn

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  • February 21, 2011 at 11:25 am
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    It takes wisdom (and bravery) to admit you are lost. Sometimes, it’s time to say, maybe I took a wrong turn, study your road map, and reevaluate. I don’t like absolutes (like never, never, never); it hinders the ability to deal with reality. Be tenacious, sure, but don’t drive a mile longer down the wrong road than you have to. Just be sure it IS the wrong road.

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  • February 21, 2011 at 11:25 am
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    As somebody who has given up on a bunch of things–an early marriage I got into when I was 19, a graduate program that was boring me–I applaud.

    Giving up is the BEST thing I have ever done under some circumstances.

    Reply
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  • February 21, 2011 at 4:20 pm
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    The more I give stuff up, the better I get at the stuff that’s left.

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  • February 21, 2011 at 6:20 pm
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    @Lynn Crain: Thanks for dropping by! I totally understand where you’re coming from. I think I’m just getting crotchety in my old age. There are some endeavors that I’ve found just aren’t worth carrying through and in fact, some may be detrimental, as @Courtney Milan gave examples of.

    @knittingknots:

    …but don’t drive a mile longer down the wrong road than you have to. Just be sure it IS the wrong road.

    Yes, exactly!

    @Courtney Milan and @Eugene Exactly.

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  • February 21, 2011 at 9:42 pm
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    Word. Sometimes reality hurts….

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  • February 21, 2011 at 10:40 pm
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    .

    Heh. I see this warranted a post rather than a comment.

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  • February 21, 2011 at 11:02 pm
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    It contained the word “bullshit.” I figured I’d spare everybody.

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  • March 3, 2011 at 2:11 pm
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    The phrase should instead be, “Never, never, never, never, never give up bullshit

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  • April 9, 2011 at 4:54 pm
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    Yes, and the old saw, “winners never quit and quitters never win.”

    Bullshit, indeed.

    Winners quit all the time. They know WHEN to quit. It leaves you more time for the things that are worthwhile and/or profitable.

    Reply
  • April 9, 2011 at 5:00 pm
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    Yes. The most successful generals know when to retreat and, better, why.

    Reply
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