I found a study today (unfortunately don't have access to the full version) that talks about physiological and cognitive consequences of wanting to abandon a goal. It appears to jeopardize individual's thinking, so I wonder if it makes a person a half-wit, even if temporarily, when it comes to this specific topic, so networking about it and getting an objective feedback is recommended. And also, wonder if it has any similarities on a cognitive level to the process of "lying to self"and "believing a lie", that also makes a person a half-wit and unable to assess reality in a proper way.
_http://psp.sagepub.com/content/early/2013/08/23/0146167213500151.abstract
_http://psp.sagepub.com/content/early/2013/08/23/0146167213500151.abstract
The Struggle of Giving Up Personal Goals
Affective, Physiological, and Cognitive Consequences of an Action Crisis
Abstract
A critical phase in goal striving occurs when setbacks accumulate and goal disengagement becomes an issue. This critical phase is conceptualized as an action crisis and assumed to be characterized by an intrapsychic conflict in which the individual becomes torn between further goal pursuit and goal disengagement. Our theorizing converges with Klinger’s conceptualization of goal disengagement as a process, rather than a discrete event. Two longitudinal field studies tested and found support for the hypothesis that an action crisis not only compromises an individual’s psychological and physiological well-being, but also dampens the cognitive evaluation of the respective goal. In Study 3, marathon runners experiencing an action crisis in their goal of running marathons showed a stronger cortisol secretion and a lower performance in the race 2 weeks later. Results are interpreted in terms of action-phase–specific mindsets with a focus on self-regulatory processes in goal disengagement.