Across time, humans have proven that they are truly remarkable at adapting, yet woeful at pivoting. What is the difference between the two concepts? For me, adapting is essential for survival, while pivoting is optional.

When faced with death, either literal or metaphorical, most people will indeed adapt. There are of course countless examples, but perhaps a particularly extreme one is Mountaineer Aron Ralston cutting off his own arm in order to escape being wedged in a slot canyon. This is a classic example of humans doing things they never thought they were capable of, when all options have evaporated.

There are much fewer examples of pivoting. Pivoting requires one to be proactive rather than reactive. It requires foresight, vision, imagination, and most of all, courage to break free of status quo.

In the 2002 film, “Adaptation” (based on the book, “The Orchid Thief”), the character of Susan Orlean is baffled by John Laroche’s ability to pivot his life obsession from one thing to the next. Laroche spends years fully committed to collecting rare turtles before finding that his obsession has waned and moves onto ice-age fossils, then silver mirrors, tropical fish, and eventually, orchids.

In one particular scene, Susan Orlean, questions Laroche about how it is that his obsession for something can just disappear. Laroche says bluntly, “F*ck fish” and later shrugs his shoulder and elaborates “Done with fish”.

Most people cannot pivot in this way. And of course, I don’t suggest that they do, exactly. Laroche is a rather odd character and isn’t hard to argue that his tendencies may be unhealthy and even pathological.

But there is something here. Some kind of rare malleability that he has with his life path that Susan (and many audience members) envy and are smitten by.

In my own life, over the years, I’ve had plenty of personal experiences with people’s reluctance to pivot, despite them persisting sometimes in situations that are almost objectively unwise.

For example, with my peers in the TV commercials space, for years I sounded the alarm that this is a declining industry susceptible to technological change and one should make plans for an alternative path. But alas I was always meet with deaf ears.

And then of course we have countless instances of major corporations shrinking into irrelevance due to complacency and a reluctance to pivot e.g. Intel, Blockbuster, Nokia, IBM, and frankly, ninety-nine percent of companies if you give them a long enough time frame.

Conversely, I believe that people can flourish the most when we know the path we are on is truly resonant with the present moment. And this may often require thinking ahead and making difficult and uncomfortable choices. In my view, a lack of pivoting means a lack of resources being used wisely. It means a lack of our energy, passion and creativity going to the right places.

To understand how we can be better at pivoting, it’s important to first understand the three reasons why it is so hard for us to pivot.

PRESERVING IDENTITY

When we make certain life decisions, such as our career, these decisions become identify-defining. After all, we are social creatures with tribal tendencies and choosing a career is as much about asking oneself a question of who is it that we want to spend our time with as much as it is a question of what it is we want to do with our time.

Over years, there is a self-perpetuating of our identity. We choose a career, it shapes our peer group, and those peers influence us to make more decisions like them, and so on. With each cycle, our sense of self becomes more narrow and crystallized.

This makes pivoting profoundly difficult. It is not only a leap into financial uncertainty, it is a challenge to the very foundation of who we believe ourselves to be, and who we belong with. To then pivot often feels like eroding both identity and associated community.

But recognizing this fear is the first step to overcoming it. If your identity rests heavily on a job title, ask yourself: is that truly the essence of who you are? A title is at best a shorthand, not a full story. Beneath it lies a depth of character, creativity, and individuality that transcends any profession. Developing and expressing that deeper identity is essential for growth, yet it is often overlooked.

And as for social circles: true friends value you beyond your occupation. The fear of rejection or judgment, while deeply human, is often exaggerated. If a relationship cannot withstand the shift of a career, perhaps it was anchored more in convenience than in genuine connection. Pivoting, then, is not just about finding new opportunities, it can also be about discovering which parts of your identity, and which relationships, are truly enduring.

PRESERVING STATUS

Then we have status. Few forces are as quietly powerful in shaping human behavior, as status. It is closely entwined with our desires for companionship and money. For some, money is a gateway to status, and status is the gateway to companionship. One way or another, it is a major part of the equation of nearly everyone’s life, whether we admit it or not.

As a motivating force, status often hides in the shadows. We like to pretend it isn’t there, or that it doesn’t affect us, when in truth it exerts enormous influence over our choices. This doesn’t mean everyone dreams of becoming president or winning an Academy Award. The allure of status is often far more subtle: a small upgrade in a job title, the prestige of a university, the number of followers on social media, or the respect of a peer group.

We accept this flexible application of status because it can be used to motivate (and manipulate) people across all levels of society. What ultimately matters to us is not status in some universal sense, but status within our chosen cohort: the small circle of people whose opinions we care about most.

Status flatters the ego. It gives us a sense of purpose, belonging, and achievement. It appears to offer admiration, respect, even love; all the things we deeply crave. And so, when pivoting requires giving up that hard-won standing and starting afresh at the bottom of the totem pole, it is no wonder that many find the prospect terrifying.

My solution is simple: care less about status. Unlike companionship or even money, there is nothing inherently noble in the pursuit of status. Money, at least, can be put to good and useful ends. Status, by contrast, is a hollow reward if it is pursued for its own sake, and to be driven by it is a weakness of the spirit.

Of course, letting go of this desire is easier said than done. Our longing for recognition is ingrained from childhood and reinforced through adulthood. But it is a mountain worth climbing. To loosen the grip of status is to free yourself from one of the most pervasive forms of social control. It is to reclaim the ability to choose your path based not on superficialities, but on what genuinely matters to you.

And here lies the paradox: by pivoting toward pursuits that truly ignite you, you may well gain more status than before. But by then, you will know that one of the rewards was not status itself, but rather the freedom of no longer being ruled by it.

SUNK COST FALLACY

And then lastly, we have Sunk Cost Fallacy. Of course, it is only seemingly rational that when we commit large amount of time, energy and money to a decision, it becomes more difficult to cut our losses and move on.

In poker, for example, we know that inexperienced players struggle to fold weakening hands that they have already sunk money into. Instead, they will stubbornly continue to succumb to additional betting rounds and hemorrhage money on the hope of the improbable. The poker slang is, “pot committed”.

This same issue arises with career paths that demand inordinate amounts of up-front time and cost. Under these circumstances, it becomes incredibly emotionally difficult to change paths and feel like all of that investment is wasted.

But just because one has already outlaid large resources, that is not cause to perpetuate a decision. A clear mind focuses on present and future with fresh eyes not tainted by prior blood, sweat and tears. This is not an easy feat of course, but it is necessary for optimum decision making.

The real question, is not how much have you already spent, but what is the opportunity cost of not pursing the thing you should probably be pursuing. Not to be dramatic, but when you don’t have a sense of urgency about pivoting, the amount you drift from where you want to be has an exponential quality to it as time goes on.

Consider this Japanese proverb:

“The longer you are on the wrong train, the more expensive it is to get home”.

* * * * * *

So, when you pile up all these three reasons, it’s once again, no surprise that we struggle so much with pivoting. But, alas, that doesn’t make it any less of a critical issue.

Make no mistake, our lack of ability to pivot is a profound disservice to ourselves and the world around us. It is an irrational stubbornness that is mostly born from fear and that ultimately helps no one.

These are harsh words, but this is the truth.

Of course, not everyone needs to pivot. But rather, the message here is that each individual can only know, deep within themselves whether they are truly on a path that makes sense for them, or whether they are remaining blissfully unaware with their head in the sand.

Only you can truly knowing what your motivations are and whether you happened to have become blinded to the red flags. Only you can know whether you are following your deep desires, or are willfully convincing yourself that everything is okay. Only you can know whether you are being rational or whether you are reverse engineering a set of arguments to help justify the status quo.

Remember that most likely the people you look up to were pioneers in some way. They were able to make bold decisions, go against the grain, and trust themselves above all else. Their situation may appear stable now, but most likely radical decisions were made along the way.

The more we can each not be held hostage by our innate needs to preserve identity and status, the more we can be free to truly do what is in our best interests. The more we can avoid dwelling on past investments of time and energy, the more we can see clearly what lays ahead.

I often think of this quote from the film, ‘The Weatherman” (2005):

“The hard option and the right option are usually the same thing.”

In short, If you feel unhappy with where you’re at and where you’re going, don’t procrastinate. It might be time to say, “F*ck fish”.

Forget Fish

August 24, 2025 · 8 min read — Last Edited August 30, 2025