Quitting is not something we’re taught to do. In fact, our parents might tell us not to give up and keep going. However, while this is true in a lot of situations, there are also some that require the exact opposite. We need to know when to walk away, when to give up, and when to get out of a situation as soon as humanly possible.
Here are a few different situations where you need to walk away for your own sake.
Places full of gossip and hate
Sure, it’s hard to have entirely positive conversations, and a little gossip might slip in here and there. But there are places where the talk is entirely dominated by gossip and hate, with a lot of negativity, judgment, and criticisms. This type of talk is harmful not just to the people who are the topics of gossip, but to everybody involved.
Gossip makes you feel more insecure and can also make you wonder, often with good reason, if you are also the subject of such conversations when you are not around. It can make you feel more concerned about what you do, as you feel judged and know that others are judgmental people. It also leads you to focus more on the negatives and develop a much less positive mindset that can affect you in different aspects of your life.
People who try to put you down
We all have flaws and problems. But this doesn’t mean we want them to be the focus of every conversation. Some people are overly fond of pointing out everything we did wrong or haven’t done. Focusing on your flaws is useful if you want to target them or if you have asked for feedback. However, if you are constantly surrounded by negativity, it becomes harder to recognize the positives in yourself and celebrate your achievements.
When others try to put you down, you don’t have to accept it. Instead, you can walk away when the criticism is unwarranted or even unwanted. It’s not that you should only surround yourself with people who praise you, but that they are mindful of their critiques and don’t offer them constantly, unprompted.
Unnecessary drama
It’s hard to live your life and not get involved into some kind of drama. We all face relationship troubles or bad decisions. However, it’s useful to walk away from unnecessary drama. What do we mean by this?
First, unnecessary drama is drama that does not have to involve you. It’s somebody else’s problem, and you are caught in the middle. Try to escape this as soon as you can and remember to steer clear of problems that you can’t fix. Secondly, unnecessary drama is often born of situations that don’t merit it. For example, a lot of drama can be born out of a problem that is easy to resolve or fix. If you find yourself in situations when some people make many things into drama, it’s best to walk away.
A lack of respect
A lack of respect is another bad sign. Places where people’s boundaries are not respected, where people push past one another, where the words and the tone are often unpleasant and difficult. Places that lack respect are usually not good for our well-being because they make us feel alert and stay vigilant all the time.
We don’t feel safe, and that can be translated into a lack of openness or willingness to take risks. We can’t innovate or be creative. We can’t be authentically ourselves. It also encourages us to be disrespectful to others, a pattern that can hurt many of our relationships. It’s best to seek places that have better environments.
Environments that normalize violence
Violence and aggression are sometimes unavoidable. However, we should not make them a part of our lives or normalize these behaviors, like yelling, insulting, or getting physical. If you find yourself in a toxic environment, you should try to get out.
When aggressive behaviors are seen as normal, people begin crossing more and more boundaries. It also teaches you to stop respecting other people, to not take them seriously. In turn, getting used to such aggressive behaviors can harm other relationships and seep into different environments, including your home or your workplace or your romantic relationship.
