Feeling Stuck at Work? Dan Ariely's Insight on Whether to Quit or Stay

Here's a prime question we all have asked in some roles we've served. If you are asking this to yourself now, try the answer as suggested by noted author Dan Ariely. Testing waters through volunteering may not be possible for everyone. A deeper understanding might be gained through an honest conversation with someone who has delivered in that role.

Should I Quit My Job?

Dear Dan,

Should I quit my job? I'm unhappy with it, but I've been with the company for eight years, and there are several practical/financial reasons to stay: I make a good salary, including stock options and grants; I get several weeks of vacation each year; and I have a pension. There is a lot of uncertainty with starting over in a new job, and there is no telling whether I would be any happier. Should I stick with what I know and look for fulfillment outside of work?

—KP

You are asking the right question. Will you be happier in a different job? The problem is that it is hard to predict whether a few weeks into a new job you will be just as unhappy as you are now. And there is no good way to predict this. So what can you do?

I would suggest that you take your next vacation (let's say three weeks) and use the time to volunteer at the kind of company to which you would consider switching. See how it feels to be there for a few weeks. Now, of course, a few weeks as a volunteer would not give you the full sense of working at that company for a long time, but it would give you some sense of the place, which is much better than going in blind. If you don't think that this is a good way to spend your three weeks of vacation, it probably means that you are not really that unhappy and that you should stay where you are.

Source: Should I quit my job?

Yes, Pon1965, volunteering is not preferred to protect information and business. Considering similar roles with firms that are newer, including startups, is a way out. I wish to know if it has worked for someone.

Regards.

I don't know who that guy who answered that email is, but fellows, don't take anything that anyone gulps down your throat for gospel. People have agendas. Wake up, fellows. I smell an agenda.

When someone tells you to quit your job and take up volunteer work for some organization, they are probably running the volunteer organization and scouting for people who will work for free. I could be wrong about this guy, but that's the general vein in which I'd consider any advice.

Self-Reflection Questions

That said, a question like that needs to be answered by the person asking it. You need to take out time to think. Take a piece of paper and a pen and ask yourself:

1) What do I want?
2) What's troubling me here?
3) What are the advantages of staying?

Do an objective analysis, and once you arrive at a decision, don't look back.

Regards,
Sathyaish

Thank you, Sathyaish, for the insight. The author of the response shared in The Wall Street Journal is Dan Ariely, a psychologist and behavioral economist. He has written books including 'Upside of Irrationality'. Your questions will help an unsatisfied employee look below the surface in the present job environment. However, a balanced approach can be arrived at when we equally weigh the opportunities that we find so coveted.

Most of the time, we feel we want something, only to realize we don't when we get it. Worse, in our quest to wait for the perfect job, we stop preparing for it. Mental pathways are easy to create when we lose our fixations. Let's brainstorm more into the area of how an employee will find the right path, even when he/she has almost lost the flexibility of mind to entertain a distant thought.

Corrosion is obvious when thinking ends up being unidirectional. I look forward to more views on how this can be put into practice.

Thank you for your contribution. I appreciate every thought offered.