25: Case Study: My PhD Is Destroying My Health – Should I Quit or Persist?

When to persevere through challenges and when to pivot away

Li Ming wrote to me with a question that captures the agonising tension between perseverance and self-preservation:

"I'm two years into a PhD program in robotics. The pressure is immense, and while I love the field, the academic environment feels toxic. The stress is affecting my health and relationships. I'm considering leaving, but not sure if it's worth giving up everything I've worked for..."

This scenario brings up some of the most challenging questions we face: When is persistence virtuous, and when is it self-destructive? How do you evaluate trade-offs between achievement and wellbeing? What does it mean to "waste" years of effort?

What makes this particularly difficult is the sunk cost – those two years already invested – and the uncertain return on continuing. The decision isn't simply about finishing or quitting, but about weighing complex trade-offs between different forms of value.

In this case study, I'll show how to move beyond simplistic narratives about "grit" versus "self-care" to make nuanced decisions when significant investments are at stake.