It's always too early to quit.
After a storm comes a calm.
Do not weep do not wax indignant. Understand.
Quality is not an act, it is a habit.
Go for it now. The future is promised to no one.
Be thine own palace, or the world's thy jail.
Well done is better than well said.
By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail.
Leap, and the net will appear.
If you can dream it, you can do it.
Your political reputation affects how likely allies are to trust you, and what kind of deals they'll offer at the negotiating table. There's also some emotional response in there, so factions do bear grudges. Just like the real thing.