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Quietly Quitting and Hopelessly Helping
There’s an idea trending now, even though the concept has been around for many decades… It’s that of making the conscious decision to slowly back away and withdraw from your job and to no longer put in as much effort at work. If this seems sad and unproductive in your thinking, you are correct.
Silent quitting and “quietly quitting” in its current context involves active participation in the slow death of your career and livelihood, and it’s also prevalent in other areas of life.
My first personal experience with the concept of quietly quitting occurred during 1986. I had decided to return to college to earn a teaching credential after teacher Christa McAuliffe had perished, along with others in the Challenger Space Shuttle tragedy. I thought it best to take a part-time job in a public school classroom first, to make sure this career change would be the right one for me before spending time and money to prepare for this new lifestyle.
The closest elementary school to my house was within walking distance. I called first, and was told they did have an opening for a teaching assistant. I made an appointment and went in to meet with the school’s principal.
They ushered me into a small office upon my arrival. The door closed behind me and a lady named Mrs. Villanueva spoke to me in a quiet voice. I…
