5. Continue reading/watching, even if you hate its guts.

Why would you do that anyway? If you don't like a book or film, just pick up another one. The "Oh, I'm at least going to finish it!" excuse is faulty because you don't get any benefit from it; you're only wasting your time and fooling yourself when you could be reading something more pleasant for you.

If you "get stuck" on a book or film, put it aside for a while and resume reading or watching it. There are two options:

a) You still hate its guts: get rid of it. Sell it, donate it, give it as a gift, recycle it, whatever strikes your fancy. By donating a book to a library, for example, you can ensure others get to read it and some might enjoy it, even if you didn’t. It's how the world runs: if we all had the same likes and dislikes, the world would be an awfully boring place to live in.

b) You are in love with it: well then, a break was all you needed. Now your head is clear and you can concentrate on it more. I've heard (and tested it out myself) that you focus on a film better if you pause it from time to time to get a drink, go to the bathroom etc. This way you think about what you've seen, organize your thoughts and when you return you're once again ready to watch more.

However, it's wrong to read one page or watch two minutes and then decide that you hate it; giving up after such a short while is never beneficial because you aren’t even introduced to the characters and action properly, yet. I suggest reading at least one chapter or watching at least ten minutes so you can get an idea what the book/film is like; afterwards, it's your call to continue or quit if you feel like it. At least you tried, and no one can blame you for not liking something after giving it a (fair) shot.