I miss understood when I heard someone say sunk cost fallacy. Skunk what? I was soon corrected. I found out that there are no cute black and white fuzzy critters involved at all.

Sunk Cost Fallacy is is the tendency for humans to continue investing in something that clearly isn’t working in the hope that it will eventually work. It is a term from Wall St coined by investment bankers. It is where are future costs or returns may be changed if an action is taken. You make rational decisions based on the future value of objects, investments and experiences.

Oh, I get it like when I hoard up books and Doctor Who memorabilia in the hopes that it will one day in the future they will fund my retirement? Yes?

No, well sort of.

The fallacy is that this is a lie, a blatant big fat lie, that you tell yourself. Your decisions are polluted by the emotional investments you accumulate, and the more you invest in something the harder it becomes to abandon it. ( As I say to my man, “What do you mean we have no more room for you to build another bookcase?” )

Thus the hope that something will give you a return on investment whether the investment is time, money, effort, or even love, makes no difference. You still believe it will happen.

How many hours, days, months or years have you wasted on a relationship that was not improving or changing? How long did you stay in a dead end job?

We do not want to see our time and effort wasted. We hope beyond hope that things will get better. That person will change. The promotion will come through. Things will get better….will it?

We all do this. Stop, don’t deny it. We ALL do it.

Look at the facts. What are you doing? Are you wasting your time on a ordinary life, dead end job or a one sided relationship?

Pick up what is left of your dignity, turn your back and walk away. Stop giving the best of yourself to something or someone that isn’t in your best interest. If it or they are not bringing you peace, then put it down and back away. I said Put. It. Down. Now, walk away.

Leave that job or that relationship. Find one that makes you happy. That brings your life meaning. Do not settle.

Do. Not. and do not Wait……death will not wait for you. When you are on your death bed do you want to remember all the time, effort, money and love you wasted on things and people that were everyday dish water lukewarm ordinary?

No, I didn’t think so.

~Lori O’Gara