Principlev1
Distinguish between sunk cost traps (where underlying logic
Distinguish between sunk cost traps (where underlying logic has changed) and legitimate difficult middles (where only emotional state has changed) before releasing commitments.
Why This Is a Principle
Derives from Losses loom larger than equivalent gains in human (loss aversion), Belief Perseverance Against Contradictory Evidence (belief perseverance), and People interpret failure as either evidence about their (fixed vs. growth mindset interpretation of failure). This prescribes evaluating WHETHER the commitment's forward-looking logic still holds rather than reflexively quitting or continuing. It's diagnostic guidance to prevent both over-persistence and premature abandonment.