They were engineers, teachers, marketers, or accountants.
They had ticked all the boxes:
Degree in hand
Secure permanent contract
Stable life — sometimes even comfortable
And then one day… they left.
Not in burnout. Not on the run. But in search. For meaning. For breath. For life.
A Global Phenomenon
We met them on the roads of Australia.
They came from Chile, Germany, Spain, Argentina, Canada, France…
In their twenties, in their thirties… All carried the same intuition:
“There’s something else out there. And I need to find it. Now.”
Is It Good or Bad?
Good question. But the wrong one.
Because quitting everything is neither good nor bad — it’s a signal.
A signal that the social contract is no longer enough. A signal that “success” doesn’t guarantee fulfillment. A signal that material comfort doesn’t always soothe existential discomfort.
It’s a healthy reaction to a logic that has turned absurd. And it’s not a resignation from life. It’s the opposite — a courageous attempt to reclaim it.
Is It About Work?
Yes… and no.
- Yes, because work remains the central pillar of modern life. It shapes our weeks, our social status, our projects, our schedules, our identity.
But when it becomes disconnected from reality, from humanity, from the living — it throws everything else out of balance.
- No, because what those leaving are seeking isn’t just a “better job.”
They’re seeking a better relationship with life itself. They want time. Clarity. Inner coherence. A daily life that resonates — not just a function to perform.
A Response to the Void?
In a world that keeps accelerating, piling on demands — succeed, perform, be flexible, be useful, be green, be fulfilled… it’s hard to feel whole.
So some slow down. Or stop. Or change everything.
This isn’t a personal crisis. It’s a collective response.
An attempt to reclaim meaning in a system that dilutes it.
So… Should You Quit Everything?
Not necessarily.
The solution isn’t universal. But the question is becoming more so:
“Am I living a life that feels like mine?”
If the answer is no, the movement begins.
Sometimes with a journey. Sometimes with a career change. Sometimes with a small but essential shift.
In Conclusion
This movement to “quit everything” isn’t an escape.
It’s clarity. A refusal of false comfort. And a call to reconcile work with life itself.
And you? Your life today — does it truly feel like yours?