Unless you come from a rich enough family that you pretty much get to do whatever you want, you’re probably aware of the fact that work very often sucks. Low-paid, under-appreciated service industry jobs, in particular, tend to leave people feeling used up and burnt out as they deal with abuse from both customers and management, both of whom are happy to exploit them for profit.
However, if you’re not completely desperate, there is always the option to quit. As scary as it can be, it can also be one of the most satisfying and liberating life experiences, especially if you ignore the expectation to give notice, which is a courtesy and not a requirement from workers. One Twitter user recently shared a story of a coworker who up and quit on the spot, becoming an instant legend.
This kicked off a massive thread in which commenters shared their own stories of instant quitting or witnessing a coworker walk off the job. Most of the time it was because of some kind of managerial incompetence or abuse, or something like bragging about how workers were going to get bonuses for their hard work and then presenting them with ice cream bars instead of money.
Others walked out just because the low pay didn’t justify how awful the work was or in solidarity with other workers who were being exploited or otherwise treated badly. No matter what the reason, people quitting has become something of an inspiration, particularly to younger generations who are rejecting the persistent cultural idea that working is a virtue in and of itself and quitting a job makes you bad. Instead, the word “legend” is being thrown around quite a lot.