But you didn’t.
No. I kept saying, “Well, let me go on for another 15 minutes and then I’ll decide.” And then after 15 minutes I’d say, “Let me go on another 15 minutes and then I’ll decide.” And I just couldn’t make a decision, and I put it off so long that I got to the top.
Economists call that sunk costs—when you’ve poured so much money or effort into something that it’s hard to extricate yourself, even when you should.
Right! I can see that. In fact, I’ve seen it many times. And I’d always thought, it doesn’t matter how long you’ve been there, how much money you’ve spent, how much energy you’ve expended. If the situation isn’t good, go down. The mountain’s always going to be there. You can always go back.
It takes a long time to climb down a mountain. I’m guessing it feels even longer when you think you’ve just made the worst—maybe the last—mistake of your life.