WarmingupWarmingupWarmingupWarmingupWarmingupWarmingupSkimmingSkimmingSkimmingSkimmingQuittersarewinners,Bulldogsarelosers2Well,yes,uptoapoint,butweallknowthatthere’sarightandawrongtimetoquit.Accordingtonewresearch,peoplewhoknowwhentogiveuponimpossiblegoals,theso-called“quitters”,arephysicallyandmentallyhealthierthan“bulldogs”whopersistatanycost.3SincetheFoundingFathersarrivedinAmerica,ourchildrenhavebeenthetargetofmessagesaboutthevalueofdeterminationinthefaceoflife’sdifficulties.Thisnever-say-diespiritisbestrepresentedbythe19th-centurysaying,“Ifatfirstyoudon’tsucceed,try,tryagain.”Butaretheretimeswhenit’ssimplybettertogiveup?4Therehasbeenconsiderableresearchaboutthisquestionandspecificallyaboutthepossiblelinkbetweendeterminationandhealth.Ontheonehand,itseemsthatpersistenceandself-disciplineincreasethechanceyou’llsucceedinthelongterm,andthatpersonalsuccessiscloselylinkedtowell-being.Thinkofsuccessfulpeopleyouknowpersonally,andlookbackovertheirlives.Havetheyalwaysbeenclearaboutwherethey’regoingintheirlives,andnowthattheyhavearrived,aretheyhappyandhealthy?Someare,perhaps.5Butwhatifsuccessisverydoubtful?Forexample,likeanaverageathletebecominganOlympicgoldmedalwinner?Canexhibitingtoomuchdeterminationhaveanegativeeffectonyourhealth?6Inasequenceofpsychologicalexperiments,scientistsGregoryMillerandCarstenWroschdevelopedawayofdistinguishingbetweentwocategoriesofpeople,BulldogsandQuitters.ThefindingsshowedthatQuittersaregenerallyhealthierthanBulldogs.MillerandWroschlookedatrelativelyminorillnessessuchasskindisorders,poorsleepandheadaches,anddiscoveredthatQuittersdifferedfromBulldogsbysufferingless.Furthermore,theBulldogssufferedmuchmorefromlongperiodsofstress,duringwhichtheyhadahigherlevelofaproteinwhichcouldindicateseveralseriousdiseases,includingkillerslikediabetesandheartdisease.7ThescientistsalsonotedthattheBulldogsdistinguishedthemselvesfromtheQuittersbyshowinghowwillingtheyweretopursuenewgoalsaftertheygaveuponsomethingimportant.Theyfoundthatpeoplewhoreadilyjumpedbackin