Quitting Is Contagious

Are you spreading Grit or Quit?

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I hate quitters

In special operations training, we see quitters regularly. I watched someone quit recently. He dropped his ruck and sat down. Within 20 minutes, three more followed him. None were injured. They weren’t broken. They were infected.

That’s what quitting does. It spreads like a virus. The second someone shows that tapping out is an option, it gives permission for everyone else to fold.

And for these guys, quitting means giving up on what I suspect was a lifetime dream of making it in special operations.

So when there is a quitter, we try to segregate them from everyone else as quickly as possible so that the virus doesn’t spread.

This is true whether the pain is physical or mental.

Everyone hurts. Everyone wants the hurting to stop. The trick is in realizing that quitting might stop the pain now, but will hurt a lot longer. It hurts every time you look in the mirror because the person looking back at you is a fucking quitter.

But here’s the flip side: toughness is just as contagious. When one person digs deep, it sparks the group. I’ve seen teams rally around a single person who refused to stop. The fire spreads both ways.

You don’t get to choose whether your actions affect others. You only get to choose which virus you carry — quit or grit.

When the weight feels impossible and your legs are jelly, remember this: someone is watching you. Someone is measuring themselves against your effort. They are probably thinking, “I can go on as long as they can.” Don’t infect them with quitting. Make them catch the grit bug.

Until next week, spread grit, and Go Ruck Yourself,

John

Don’t forget to check out the store.

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