MIT-trained neurosurgeon quit his job at 38 to move to the woods
Should you be inspired by his story? A decision scientist’s take
“Always be quitting.”
There’s a viral video going around from an MIT-trained neurosurgeon who quit his job at 38 to move to the woods. Link under the caption of this image:
Most of the comments are about his patient observations (those who healed best generally had low-sodium plant-based diets, slept a lot, exercised, rarely drank or smoked, and had little stress) and issues in our healthcare system that led him to experience burnout.
Since I’m heading into the woods myself today to take a small break from the breakneck pace of building a business and make sure the version of me I share with the world is balanced and cheerful, I thought I’d make a little incision into this neurosurgeon’s decision to finally quit.
Everyone in his life, of course, told him to stay. Look at the facts, they said: “You have 15 years of training, extraordinary pay, life-saving skills, and the prestige of being a brain surgeon. You have no other skills, your wife isn’t working, and you have no plan to make money. You cannot quit.”
So, is this guy a hero for quitting?