Concepts health-logic

Sunk Costs

Why We Keep Defending Bad Health Decisions

9 min

Bottom Line
Past time, money, and effort should not determine whether a health decision still makes sense. But psychologically, they often do.
Quick Summary

This episode explains why people stay attached to weak health protocols, expensive routines, or unconvincing explanations long after doubt begins: it hurts to admit the investment may not have been worth it.

What You'll Learn
  • What sunk costs are
  • Why identity and hope make bad decisions harder to leave
  • How past investment distorts future judgment
  • One question that helps reset the decision
Key Question
If I were starting today, with what I know now, would I still choose this?
HealthLit Take
The money already spent is gone. The real question is what happens next.
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