What’s Really Controlling Your Money? & When to Quit

About this episode

This episode explores the hidden forces that influence financial decisions and the importance of knowing when to quit.

Most people think they’re good drivers. But there’s one simple thing you can do—or not do—that has a surprisingly big impact on how well you drive. It takes almost no effort, yet skipping it can quietly increase your chances of making mistakes behind the wheel. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25890276/ Your financial life may feel like a series of personal choices—what you earn, spend, and save. But many of those decisions are shaped by forces you don’t always see. Technology, algorithms, credit systems, and even the way prices are presented can subtly influence how you think about money and what you do with it. Alex Mayyasi, reporter for the podcast Planet Money (https://www.npr.org/podcasts/510289/planet-money) and author of Planet Money: A Guide to the Economic Forces That Shape Your Life (https://amzn.to/4s4H9DO), explains how these hidden forces work—and how becoming aware of them can help you make smarter financial decisions. Quitting has a bad reputation. We’re taught to stick it out, push through, and never give up. But sometimes quitting is exactly the right move. The real challenge is knowing the difference between perseverance and persistence that no longer serves you…

People in this episode

Guests: Alex Mayyasi, Jeffrey Lockwood

Topics covered

• money management
• financial decisions
• quitting
• perseverance

Keywords

• financial life
• technology
• algorithms
• credit systems
• quitting
• perseverance

Mentioned in this episode

Products: Planet Money: A Guide to the Economic Forces That Shape Your Life, The Good Quit: Mastering the Fine Art of Giving Up

Books & works: Planet Money: A Guide to the Economic Forces That Shape Your Life, The Good Quit: Mastering the Fine Art of Giving Up (

Places: Canada

More episodes of Something You Should Know

• How to Get Better at Anything & Why So Many People Like Tattoos - SYSK Choice · May 9, 2026 · 51 min
• The Science of Getting Lucky & What People Secretly Google · May 7, 2026 · 49 min
• SYSK TRENDING-How to Negotiate by Asking the Right Questions · May 5, 2026 · 27 min
• The Trouble with Thinking Outside the Box & What Hunger is Really Telling You · May 4, 2026 · 49 min
• Do Plants Think? & Why Dining Out Feels So Expensive - SYSK Choice · May 2, 2026 · 51 min
• What AI Is Really Good At & That Feeling You Get When You Don’t Fit In · April 30, 2026 · 48 min