Why do the fear of losing often lead to giving up?

[Vagueabsolute]

I have found that a fear of losing or failing can push people to give up or refrain from even trying.
Why do you think this is?

A few reasons that seem plausible to me are as follows.

Reason #1

Conceding gives a sense of control in contrast to having success ripped out of your hands.

Reason #2

Giving up can give the impression that you never cared, does sparing some pride.

Reason #3

Giving up in the pursuit of one thing, leaves time and energy for something else to be Achieved.

Reason #4

One may give up on hope in fear of disappointment.

Reason #5

Hope can be heavy and straining, letting go of it may be easier.

[LuckyR]

I have found that a fear of losing or failing can push people to give up or refrain from even trying.
Why do you think this is?

A few reasons that seem plausible to me are as follows.

Reason #1

Conceding gives a sense of control in contrast to having success ripped out of your hands.

Reason #2

Giving up can give the impression that you never cared, does sparing some pride.

Reason #3

Giving up in the pursuit of one thing, leaves time and energy for something else to be Achieved.

Reason #4

One may give up on hope in fear of disappointment.

Reason #5

Hope can be heavy and straining, letting go of it may be easier.

Great topic!

I am very familiar with the concept since I am a tennis player and the way tennis is played and scored makes it a zero sum game, emotionally. This can be ego crushing so it is well known among players for fostering this "fear of losing" rather than "desire for winning" mindset.

The other common stereotype of the concept is fear of rejection among men in the dating game.

[Vagueabsolute]

I have found that a fear of losing or failing can push people to give up or refrain from even trying.
Why do you think this is?

A few reasons that seem plausible to me are as follows.

Reason #1

Conceding gives a sense of control in contrast to having success ripped out of your hands.

Reason #2

Giving up can give the impression that you never cared, does sparing some pride.

Reason #3

Giving up in the pursuit of one thing, leaves time and energy for something else to be Achieved.

Reason #4

One may give up on hope in fear of disappointment.

Reason #5

Hope can be heavy and straining, letting go of it may be easier.

Great topic!

I am very familiar with the concept since I am a tennis player and the way tennis is played and scored makes it a zero sum game, emotionally. This can be ego crushing so it is well known among players for fostering this "fear of losing" rather than "desire for winning" mindset.

The other common stereotype of the concept is fear of rejection among men in the dating game.

Indeed, not asking out of fearing rejection, truly seam counterproductive.

[Pattern-chaser]

I have found that a fear of losing or failing can push people to give up or refrain from even trying.
Why do you think this is?

Risk aversion. We safeguard ourselves by limiting our risks. The only difficult part of that is deciding exactly where to draw the line, between what we will try, and what we will avoid?

[Vagueabsolute]

I have found that a fear of losing or failing can push people to give up or refrain from even trying.
Why do you think this is?

Risk aversion. We safeguard ourselves by limiting our risks. The only difficult part of that is deciding exactly where to draw the line, between what we will try, and what we will avoid?

Often, even when the reward outweighs the risk, the risk isn’t taken anyway. Fear is a two edged blade, don’t you think? The edge of that blade that’s facing you is surely a culprit here.

[Pattern-chaser]

I have found that a fear of losing or failing can push people to give up or refrain from even trying.
Why do you think this is?

Risk aversion. We safeguard ourselves by limiting our risks. The only difficult part of that is deciding exactly where to draw the line, between what we will try, and what we will avoid?

Often, even when the reward outweighs the risk, the risk isn’t taken anyway. Fear is a two edged blade, don’t you think? The edge of that blade that’s facing you is surely a culprit here.

We each weigh these things differently. Some of us are more risk-averse than others. Is this wrong, do you think?

[Vagueabsolute]

I have found that a fear of losing or failing can push people to give up or refrain from even trying.
Why do you think this is?

Risk aversion. We safeguard ourselves by limiting our risks. The only difficult part of that is deciding exactly where to draw the line, between what we will try, and what we will avoid?

Often, even when the reward outweighs the risk, the risk isn’t taken anyway. Fear is a two edged blade, don’t you think? The edge of that blade that’s facing you is surely a culprit here.

We each weigh these things differently. Some of us are more risk-averse than others. Is this wrong, do you think?

Wrong? Not at all. However, it becomes an issue when you personally deem the risk-taking worth it, only to refrain from shouldering that risk.

[Samana Johann]

I have found that a fear of losing or failing can push people to give up or refrain from even trying.
Why do you think this is?

A few reasons that seem plausible to me are as follows.

Reason #1

Conceding gives a sense of control in contrast to having success ripped out of your hands.

Reason #2

Giving up can give the impression that you never cared, does sparing some pride.

Reason #3

Giving up in the pursuit of one thing, leaves time and energy for something else to be Achieved.

Reason #4

One may give up on hope in fear of disappointment.

Reason #5

Hope can be heavy and straining, letting go of it may be easier.

Only if ignorant one does not give up what's not possible to control, subject to decay, no real refuge, not one's own.

Maybe the question bases on basic wrong view, while actually very worthy to consider well.

Only one who really gives up is able to access what lies beyond, heads toward the deathless.

And what has to be feared to be take on, proper to let go, wise to seek no refuge in it?

The wise fears what's proper to fear, while the unwise has no fear of dangers at all, meet decay after decay.

[Samana Johann]

To go beyond all fear is required to know wrong fear and right fear, and it's not so that fear can be overcome by fearlessness.

[Samana Johann]

I have found that a fear of losing or failing can push people to give up or refrain from even trying.
Why do you think this is?

Risk aversion. We safeguard ourselves by limiting our risks. The only difficult part of that is deciding exactly where to draw the line, between what we will try, and what we will avoid?

The large limit, good houeholder, might be not willing to go for something outside of one's perception, ever on following the same pattern not seeing any lasting escape, or even unaware of lose following ever on.

[EricPH]

Whenever you take on a challenge that is well beyond what you have ever done before, you automatically earn the right to fail. Very little in life is risk free, there can be no guarantees. The greatest failure is not trying, when you don't try you have already failed. When you try and do your best, and keep trying, you will probably achieve far more than you ever thought possible.

Vagueabsolute wrote: ↑March 8th, 2023, 9:47 am
I have found that a fear of losing or failing can push people to give up or refrain from even trying.
Why do you think this is?

In June 1983 I changed from riding a geared bike, to riding a singles speed fixed wheel bike, you have to pedal every inch of the way. The most I had done on a fixed was about 200K. There was a 1200K event in France, the Paris -Brest - Paris in August, and I decided to enter on the fixed. I tried two shorter training events and packed on both of them after about 600K. I decided to ride about 200K to the start, and 200K home after. This was now a thousand K more than I had ever done. By adding another 400K extra, made the twelve hundred K seem easy.

The ride happens every four years, over two thousand riders from all over the world turned up. I was the only one to start and finish on a single speed fixed. This meant turning the pedals round about 225,000 times in 84 hours.

The mind is a strange thing. I sincerely believe we can all achieve far more than we ever think possible. Probably it is our minds that limit what we can do.

[Samana Johann]

Yes, no fear at all to give a lot into useless and lost things... sometimes just for a vague memorys value "i did..."

[Carter Blunt]

I can't say it's a fear of "losing", so much as an aversion to having my time wasted. Society promising me "hard work pays off", but never let me collect on the payout. Narcissist cliques picking me as the inferior one, and I'm supposed to agree with it or something. I value cooperation over competition, so "winning" isn't on my list of priorities.

[Samana Johann]

I can't say it's a fear of "losing", so much as an aversion to having my time wasted. Society promising me "hard work pays off", but never let me collect on the payout. Narcissist cliques picking me as the inferior one, and I'm supposed to agree with it or something. I value cooperation over competition, so "winning" isn't on my list of priorities.

Yes, the "fox and the source grapes" philosophy is another to prevent from good efforts, aside of not knowing of what's worthy to give into.

Both "there are no fruits from deeds" as well as somebody, something, supreme is in charge of pleasure and pain, are grave wrong view, are ideas leading to effortlessness and downwardly.

[Vagueabsolute]

I have found that a fear of losing or failing can push people to give up or refrain from even trying.
Why do you think this is?

A few reasons that seem plausible to me are as follows.

Reason #1

Conceding gives a sense of control in contrast to having success ripped out of your hands.

Reason #2

Giving up can give the impression that you never cared, does sparing some pride.

Reason #3

Giving up in the pursuit of one thing, leaves time and energy for something else to be Achieved.

Reason #4

One may give up on hope in fear of disappointment.

Reason #5

Hope can be heavy and straining, letting go of it may be easier.

Only if ignorant one does not give up what's not possible to control

But you don’t know whats not possibly, do you?
When winning is your only desire, giving up can never be an option.
With your arms and legs severed, would you let your murderer drag you to your end, or would you bite down on the ground?