When you’re playing Catan, tennis, or even participating in a marathon, regardless of how you’re performing, you shouldn’t quit. These are “simple games” with limited consequences, clear rules, and knowable outcomes.
But “complex games” should be treated differently.
Complex games have big consequences, ambiguous rules, and unknowable outcomes. Examples could be the prestigious company that overworks its employees, the high-status but fickle friend group, or the business partnership where the benefits all fall to one side of the table.
We don’t need to play these games if we don’t want to.
There is no shame in leaving a losing game.