Sunk Cost Fallacy

Imagine you’re rowing a small boat toward a peaceful island. You’ve packed your favourite snacks, a good book, and dreams of relaxing in the sunshine. But as you get closer, you hear loud music and laughter, a wild party raging where you hoped for calm.

Then the sky opens up and rain starts pouring down, soaking you, your food, and ruining your book.

You think, “I’ve already come this far, might as well stay.”

This feeling, that you have to keep going because of what you’ve already invested, is what psychologists call the sunk cost fallacy. It’s the trap of clinging to something simply because you’ve put time, energy, or emotion into it, even if it no longer brings you joy or serves your wellbeing.

It happens in every part of life. Maybe it’s a job you hate. You’ve been there for years, slogging through the same routines, enduring stress or dissatisfaction. But quitting feels impossible because of how much time and effort you’ve already put in. Maybe you tell yourself, “I’ve invested so much, I can’t walk away now.”

Or it’s a friendship that has grown one-sided or toxic. You’ve been there through ups and downs, but lately it drains you more than it lifts you. Still, you hang on, hoping things will get better because of your history together.

Or even a creative project, a business idea, or a lifestyle choice that no longer fits but feels too late to change course.

Here’s the truth: the time and energy you’ve already invested are gone, sunk costs that can’t be reclaimed. Staying stuck in something that no longer nourishes you only means rowing harder toward a stormy, soggy island when you could turn the boat around and head to a place that truly suits you.

Walking away takes courage. It means trusting yourself enough to say, “I deserve better.” It means choosing your well-being over fear, comfort, or guilt about “wasting” what you’ve already put in.

If you’re feeling stuck in any part of your life, work, relationships, friendships, or personal goals, and you know deep down it’s no longer right for you, remember: your happiest, healthiest life awaits on the other side of that courage.

You don’t owe your past investments anything if they’re holding you back from your future.

Unplaced Team,