Unlike the military in general, one can quit the Navy SEAL training program at any time. Known as Drop on Request, one need only drop his helmet next to a pole and ring the bell three times. Close to 75% of those who enter the program ring the bell. How can that be? Everyone passes a rigorous fitness test just to get into the program.
It turns out that mental strength can be just as important as physical strength. And when the physical strength is being pushed to the limit, some people are less able to cope with it than others, and so they ring the bell.
I’m not a psychologist (nor do I play one on TV), but I know from personal experience that I can sometimes get overwhelmed when I try to look too far ahead. But by focusing exclusively on the task at hand and not concerning myself with its future ramifications, I can, more often than not, successfully complete the project.
Now I’m not saying that we should never “ring the bell”, i.e., quit. Certainly there are times and situations when it no longer makes sense to proceed, and that can be for a variety of reasons. But when you are heavily invested in a situation (such as SEAL candidates), I believe that current discomfort or frustration shouldn’t be the deciding factor.
I’m not the only one who feels this way. Thomas Edison said “Our greatest weakness lies in giving up” and “Many of life's failures are people who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up.” He should know. He reportedly made thousands of failed experiments trying to invent the light bulb before he was ultimately successful.
I often wonder what is it within humans that cause one to quit and another to keep going. Is it learned or innate? Is it habit? If so, how did it develop? I don’t have the answers, but I have observed that most successful people have “it” and others do not.
I believe responsibility plays a role. Being part of a family, team, or organization and feeling a personal responsibility to that entity can certainly provide the extra motivation needed to press on when the going gets tough. Not wanting to let someone down can be a tremendous motivator.
Sometimes a simple cost/benefit analysis could be enough to convince us to stick with it. After all, the only benefit to quitting is the alleviation of the pain or frustration that we are currently experiencing. So ring the bell if you must, but not before you’ve considered the consequences of doing so.
I’ll close with quotes from two people who certainly weren’t known as “bell ringers”. Douglas MacArthur said “Age wrinkles the body. Quitting wrinkles the soul.” And Vince Lombardi said “Once you learn to quit, it becomes a habit.”