Whatever the endeavor, quitting is guaranteed failure.
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SBL: Quitting
- Thread starter Dr. Cheese
- Start date
Whatever the endeavor, quitting is guaranteed failure.
Passinwind
I know nothing.
- Dec 3, 2003
- 23,045
- 45,909
- Disclosures
- Designer/Toaster Tech @ Passinwind Electronics
Nah, (mostly) quitting YouTube and Facebook has actually been a very positive experience.
Nah, (mostly) quitting YouTube and Facebook has actually been a very positive experience.
Amen. Nuked Facebook a few years ago, and I'm over a week into disabling, but not nuking, my Instagram account. I don't miss Facebook at all and never did, but I'm a little jittery regarding IG. It's been very useful for getting to know like-minded synth folk and I'm missing that community.
Nah, (mostly) quitting YouTube and Facebook has actually been a very positive experience.
Passinwind
I know nothing.
- Dec 3, 2003
- 23,045
- 45,909
- Disclosures
- Designer/Toaster Tech @ Passinwind Electronics
It took three tries for me with Facebook, peer pressure was very strong, and only retiring from gigging completely made it really work. I pretty much got told I needed a FB account if I wanted a NAMM badge one year, even. So I went with accepting no friends and just having a business page, which IMEis pretty worthless if you're not willing to buy into FB's pay for clicks model. I still managed to get more than 1800 hits in less than a day with one particular new bass day post though, and it was just an in-progress pic.
@Dr. Cheese: no sniping at your viewing habits intended, it seems to make you quite happy beyond the GAS inducing aspect.
I took nothing personally. I tend to restrict my use of Facebook myself.
I found Jaron Lanier's book Ten Arguments for Deleting Your Social Media Accounts Right Now pretty compelling, on top of my own experience.
Many years ago, I was watching Soul Train, and the host, Don Cornelius, asked a vocal group why they were successful. A member’s answer was “we never quit singing.” He explained that there were lots of groups in the neighborhood, but all the others eventually broke up, but they kept on singing. I have often told my I my kids that I cannot guarantee their success, but if they quit, I can guarantee their failure.
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I watched this last night. It is a nice message to pick yourself up.
Hahaha, I haven't watched it yet, because I actually quit SBL last November! 
In all honesty, I actually really enjoyed SBL and found it helpful....for me (YMMV). But in my current climate I just couldn't afford it anymore.
As for quitting social media, meh. I use it how I want and that's it. I won't use it how others think I need to and that's their problem. Once you reach that point, it's a lot easier.
But at the end of the day, I need certain social media for some of the things I'm involved in.
In all honesty, I actually really enjoyed SBL and found it helpful....for me (YMMV). But in my current climate I just couldn't afford it anymore.
As for quitting social media, meh. I use it how I want and that's it. I won't use it how others think I need to and that's their problem. Once you reach that point, it's a lot easier.
But at the end of the day, I need certain social media for some of the things I'm involved in.
Yes, I can relate. Not a cruise ship gig, but it was a "thanks, we'll maybe call you "
Guess what? They called me a few weeks later when they were somewhat desperate, because there was no one else and they knew bass was in my heart.... I declined because I was not willing to attempt a 40 song set list with one days' notice. Too bad we couldn't have worked things out sooner.
Guess what? They called me a few weeks later when they were somewhat desperate, because there was no one else and they knew bass was in my heart.... I declined because I was not willing to attempt a 40 song set list with one days' notice. Too bad we couldn't have worked things out sooner.
Never heard of SBL, should be easy for me to quit while I'm ahead. 
drumvsbass
Commercial User
- Aug 20, 2011
- 1,980
- 4,323
- Disclosures
- I work for Long and McQuade Musical Instruments Canada in Sales.
So much honesty... sips coffee...
I've been playing bass for 35 years. I have never had anything that remotely looks like success. Not financial, not in respect from any peer group, not in notoriety anywhere. In fact I feel as though most of my local bass playing community thinks I am insane or they have never heard of me. No one knows who I am. I couldn't get a gig today if you put a gun to my head... Does this sound like something I should continue to dump hours of my life and thousands of dollars into? I've been in some bands, but that is kinda behind me at this point. I play in my living room for myself and occasionally stream to my 6 friends on facebook. I put videos on YouTube that no one watches. I have albums on Spotify that no one listens too. Distrokid owes me 9 bucks. I have 30 grand in basses, pedals, and recording gear and 35 years of experience. What do I have to show for it? A closet full of gear I paid way too much for and will never be able to get my money out of. How Icarus falls...
I play for me. Always have. But the effort to put it out there for anyone and everyone to ignore is getting tired.
The big takeaway unfortunately is that I have been wasting time chasing faeries in my backyard.
I've been playing bass for 35 years. I have never had anything that remotely looks like success. Not financial, not in respect from any peer group, not in notoriety anywhere. In fact I feel as though most of my local bass playing community thinks I am insane or they have never heard of me. No one knows who I am. I couldn't get a gig today if you put a gun to my head... Does this sound like something I should continue to dump hours of my life and thousands of dollars into? I've been in some bands, but that is kinda behind me at this point. I play in my living room for myself and occasionally stream to my 6 friends on facebook. I put videos on YouTube that no one watches. I have albums on Spotify that no one listens too. Distrokid owes me 9 bucks. I have 30 grand in basses, pedals, and recording gear and 35 years of experience. What do I have to show for it? A closet full of gear I paid way too much for and will never be able to get my money out of. How Icarus falls...
I play for me. Always have. But the effort to put it out there for anyone and everyone to ignore is getting tired.
The big takeaway unfortunately is that I have been wasting time chasing faeries in my backyard.
It all depends on what it is you are quitting, I'd say...and why.
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Regarding the OP, I never quit, but I did walk away for awhile, more than once. I think breaks are healthy. Of course, the difference is I've never made music my way to make a living. As Damien Erskine brilliantly put it, I'm an enthusiast.
I never joined any social media. I own no business, didn't have a job that required a lot of instant messaging or an online social media presence, etc.
It seems a great shame that with the advent of instant global communication, where I could instantly correspond with anyone around the world, has degenerated into an expensive, aggressive, and abusive gossip box where people are so unbelievably mean and uncivil. The Digital Tower of Babble. And for this I pay a wireless plan and carry around a thousand-dollar device I'll sit on and lose ? Nope.
I do get a sinister satisfaction at the comments when I pull out my flip-phone. I'm my own influencer, I don't know what's trending, and things stay . . . . pretty quiet. As I prefer. I get to have a few published comments as a curmudgeon here on TB and over at the Alembic Club, and that's enough for me.
It seems a great shame that with the advent of instant global communication, where I could instantly correspond with anyone around the world, has degenerated into an expensive, aggressive, and abusive gossip box where people are so unbelievably mean and uncivil. The Digital Tower of Babble. And for this I pay a wireless plan and carry around a thousand-dollar device I'll sit on and lose ? Nope.
I do get a sinister satisfaction at the comments when I pull out my flip-phone. I'm my own influencer, I don't know what's trending, and things stay . . . . pretty quiet. As I prefer. I get to have a few published comments as a curmudgeon here on TB and over at the Alembic Club, and that's enough for me.
True, I gave up sprinting in sixth grade, when I realized I was fast for a really big guy, not fast in absolute terms.
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FB is an utter black hole and I don't miss it one bit. Plus, F that Zuck guy.
And why.
This whole "never quit" is just bos taurus excrement. I was in sales for 10 years. I was a mediocre salesman (too honest) and I should have quit long before I did. I went into IT and in about three years I doubled my salary. I went on to become a technical director and was exponentially more successful than I every could have been as a salesman. My first instrument was drums - boring; then trombone - hated it; then piano - liked it but not passionately; then bass - I couldn't put it down.
Despite the motivational regurgitation, you SHOULD reassess your situation and quit and change course if necessary. Everybody can't be good at everything.
