Psychol Sci September 2007 PMID 17760771

You've gotta know when to fold 'em: goal disengagement and systemic inflammation in adolescence.

Gregory E Miller, Carsten Wrosch

Mentions

13
Peak: 2 in Aug 2025
across 5 sources since Dec 2020

Extended reach

58,633
potential audience

Total likes

4,776

Video views

51,579

Mentions per month

Dec 2020 – Sep 2025

Where it's discussed

  • News4 articles
  • YouTube3 videos
  • Blogs3 articles
  • X / Twitter2 posts
  • Bluesky1 posts

AI synopsis

What people are saying

Discussions emphasize that persistence might sometimes harm health, with phrases like 'encouraging children to have grit' contrasted against warnings that 'stick with unattainable goals' could be harmful. The tone and word choices reflect concern about the long-term effects of goal attachment on well-being, reinforcing the article's message that knowing when to disengage is crucial for health.

AgreementModerate agreement

Most discussions agree with the article’s main message, highlighting that knowing when to disengage from goals is beneficial for health.

InterestHigh interest

The discussions demonstrate a high level of interest, especially with mentions of the implications for youth well-being and health.

EngagementModerate engagement

There is moderate engagement, as participants reflect on the importance of goal management and relate it to broader concepts like grit and persistence.

ImpactModerate impact

The conversations suggest the article could influence perspectives on adolescent health strategies, though not universally revolutionary at this point.

Abstract in brief

  • The study investigates how adolescents manage goals that they cannot achieve and finds that struggling to let go of these unattainable goals is linked to increased levels of CRP, an inflammatory marker associated with health risks.
  • Over a year, adolescents who had trouble disengaging from unachievable goals showed rising inflammation levels, which remained significant even when accounting for factors like weight, smoking, and depression.
  • These results challenge the idea that persistence is always positive, suggesting that sometimes, knowing when to quit a goal can be better for both mental health and physical well-being.]

Top posts

Most liked on X and Bluesky
Eat Sleep Work Repeat
@EatSleepWkRpt · X

Encouraging children to have 'grit' and to stick with unattainable goals could make them sick in the long-term. https://t.co/bnpM0GkaFi https://t.co/UIUdfni2U1

Dec 2, 2020 · 1 like · 5,894 followers View post →
Kyung-Bok Boo
@kyungbokboo · X

You've gotta know when to fold 'em: goal disengagement and systemic inflammation in adolescence - in some contexts, persistence may actually undermine well-being and good health. https://t.co/4okKAfSwGr

Nov 28, 2022 · 1,161 followers View post →

All mentions

Coyote Duran
@coyoteduranart.com · Bluesky

I don't blame you one bit. You've gotta know when to fold them and when to walk away, fella.

Sep 7, 2025 View post →
Kyung-Bok Boo
@kyungbokboo · X

You've gotta know when to fold 'em: goal disengagement and systemic inflammation in adolescence - in some contexts, persistence may actually undermine well-being and good health. https://t.co/4okKAfSwGr

Nov 28, 2022 · 1,161 followers View post →
Eat Sleep Work Repeat
@EatSleepWkRpt · X

Encouraging children to have 'grit' and to stick with unattainable goals could make them sick in the long-term. https://t.co/bnpM0GkaFi https://t.co/UIUdfni2U1

Dec 2, 2020 · 1 like · 5,894 followers View post →