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Sunk Cost Drift
High Impact PatternYou've put so much time, money, or ego into something that walking away feels impossible — even when staying is costing you more than leaving ever would. The past investment is gone. Don't let it eat your future.
Past investment continuing to drive current decisions
Risk Analysis
Escalation of commitment — resources poured into failing trajectories instead of reallocated.
Key Signals
These phrases and thought patterns often indicate sunk cost drift is active:
“invested too much”“can't stop now”“sunk cost”“already spent”“walk away”“too far in”“already invested”“too committed”“gone too far”“keep going”“can't give up”“too much to quit”“don't want to waste”“already put in”“committed too much”“can't back out”“already put so much”“too much time already”
Breaking the Pattern
Ask: 'If I were starting fresh today, would I make this same choice?' If the answer is no, the sunk cost is the cost of learning. Leave it behind.
The Reframe
"If you find yourself in a hole, stop digging." — Warren Buffett
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