{"id":790,"date":"2020-05-29T12:25:38","date_gmt":"2020-05-29T19:25:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.scot.fun\/damentals\/?p=790"},"modified":"2021-01-19T11:24:11","modified_gmt":"2021-01-19T19:24:11","slug":"entertainers-quit","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.scot.fun\/damentals\/entertainers-quit\/","title":{"rendered":"Entertainers: quit"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

It sounds really cool to say “I’ll never quit…” unless… wait… no. It sounds stupid.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

If I’m eating a meal that tastes terrible, do I need to finish it? If I start a war that is clearly not solving any of the problems I hoped, do I keep fighting until I have nothing? If I have a show business that doesn’t work, do I just get more tshirts printed?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Entertainers need to be better at quitting than anyone. If it’s not working, not only is the floundering public, but it’s floundering because the public doesn’t want it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Hair<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

I had this bit in my show for ten years where I sprayed cooking oil in my hair. It was funny and perfect for that moment to destabilize the audience and establish my commitment to the bit. That oil would get on the ceiling of rental cars, on my hoodie, on my hands and even drip in my eyes on multi-show days. Ten years. If I didn’t wash it out, it would get on my pillow, then on my face, then on everything. 10 YEARS<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It was worth it, until I was running low on oil one day and I tried just mentioning doing it. Same audience reaction basically. That spritz was cut that day from my show.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sunk Cost<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Moral superiority is not the only thing that keeps us in a sitch that stinks. The sunk cost fallacy is basically “I spent a lot of money on this hat that makes my face bleed, I’m going to wear it all day!” We’re allowed to quit. We’re allowed to throw away expensive things.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sunk cost applies to money but also; time, reputation, energy, love (transactional love anyhow), and anything else that we feel we spend on stuff.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Loss Aversion<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

If we have put a ton into something, we won’t want to lose it. Loss aversion is a major motivator. People don’t want to lose what they have more than they want to gain something.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Because of the loss aversion bias, we’re more likely to buy into a double or nothing deal because it feels like we can prevent loss. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Allow yourself to quit today<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

What’s not working? What, going forward, is going to cost us more than it’s worth? A joke, a routine, a segment, a show, a gig, a career? Quit it all!<\/strong> At least we can be open to the idea that we can quit right now. Imagine it. Feel the relief. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Then, we make a decision based on this head space instead of trying to make big life decisions based on the fear of losing it all.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Use your flawed thinking for your benefit<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Don’t try to fight the sunk cost fallacy, nor your loss aversion bias. They’re too strong. Here are two easy exercises.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

  1. SUNK COST: Think of the things you’ve spent as gone. <\/strong>Looking at your work experience as business capital is not the same as holding on to your past. The money you invested in your tiger cages belongs to someone else now. Those cages aren’t worth what you paid for them unless they’re serving you at that value now.<\/li>
  2. LOSS AVERSION: Think of your future as something you possess now.<\/strong> If your future is important to you, the time you spend tomorrow is something you own. You don’t want to lose that time by committing to something that’s not serving you.<\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n

    <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    It sounds really cool to say “I’ll never quit…” unless… wait… no. It sounds stupid. If I’m eating a meal that tastes terrible, do I need to finish it? If I start a war that is clearly not solving any of the problems I hoped, do I keep fighting until I have nothing? If I […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":15,"featured_media":2239,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"rop_custom_images_group":[],"rop_custom_messages_group":[],"rop_publish_now":"initial","rop_publish_now_accounts":{"facebook_10158666434799935_26707174888":"","twitter_aToyMjM4MTQzMDs=_22381430":""},"rop_publish_now_history":[],"rop_publish_now_status":"pending","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-790","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.scot.fun\/damentals\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/close-up-portrait-of-woman-246804-scaled-1.jpg?fit=2000%2C1333&ssl=1","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/pc33gc-cK","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":1554,"url":"https:\/\/www.scot.fun\/damentals\/your-soul-isnt-special\/","url_meta":{"origin":790,"position":0},"title":"Your Soul Isn’t Special","author":"scot","date":"August 30, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"I've been listening to Captain Frodo's Way of the Showman. It's like a wonderful, complicated way to understand the simplicity of entertainment. I try to be blunt and pragmatic, while Frodo's poetic and philosophical. We agree about a lot. I just listened to \"Soul Spectacle.\" To kinda paraphrase he says\u2026","rel":"","context":"Similar post","block_context":{"text":"Similar post","link":""},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.scot.fun\/damentals\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/pexels-thiago-matos-3022456.jpg?fit=1200%2C763&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.scot.fun\/damentals\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/pexels-thiago-matos-3022456.jpg?fit=1200%2C763&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.scot.fun\/damentals\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/pexels-thiago-matos-3022456.jpg?fit=1200%2C763&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.scot.fun\/damentals\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/pexels-thiago-matos-3022456.jpg?fit=1200%2C763&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.scot.fun\/damentals\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/pexels-thiago-matos-3022456.jpg?fit=1200%2C763&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":1594,"url":"https:\/\/www.scot.fun\/damentals\/showbiz-is-not-burger-king\/","url_meta":{"origin":790,"position":1},"title":"Showbiz is Not Burger King","author":"scot","date":"September 4, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"Please lead people to the joy! OMG! It's driving me nuts! I performed in a variety show a few years ago and the host was just dragging ass. No charm, no jokes, no vibes, no consideration, no energy. I was on deck soon, and I did not want the room\u2026","rel":"","context":"Similar post","block_context":{"text":"Similar post","link":""},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.scot.fun\/damentals\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/pexels-rok-romih-4887433.jpg?fit=1200%2C693&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.scot.fun\/damentals\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/pexels-rok-romih-4887433.jpg?fit=1200%2C693&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.scot.fun\/damentals\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/pexels-rok-romih-4887433.jpg?fit=1200%2C693&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.scot.fun\/damentals\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/pexels-rok-romih-4887433.jpg?fit=1200%2C693&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.scot.fun\/damentals\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/pexels-rok-romih-4887433.jpg?fit=1200%2C693&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":3829,"url":"https:\/\/www.scot.fun\/damentals\/sleep-tips-for-road-warrior-entertainers\/","url_meta":{"origin":790,"position":2},"title":"Sleep Tips for Road Warrior Entertainers","author":"scot","date":"November 2, 2023","format":false,"excerpt":"","rel":"","context":"Similar post","block_context":{"text":"Similar post","link":""},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.scot.fun\/damentals\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/slice1.png?fit=1080%2C1080&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.scot.fun\/damentals\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/slice1.png?fit=1080%2C1080&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.scot.fun\/damentals\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/slice1.png?fit=1080%2C1080&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.scot.fun\/damentals\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/slice1.png?fit=1080%2C1080&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.scot.fun\/damentals\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/slice1.png?fit=1080%2C1080&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":2712,"url":"https:\/\/www.scot.fun\/damentals\/showbiz-is-trying-to-not-die\/","url_meta":{"origin":790,"position":3},"title":"Showbiz Is Trying To Not Die!","author":"scot","date":"July 30, 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"A top human fear is public speaking. The common thinking is that entertainers are special because they've overcome that fear and that's why they do what they do. Wrong again, common sense! I don't have much fear of getting up in front of a crowd. I first noticed this in\u2026","rel":"","context":"Similar post","block_context":{"text":"Similar post","link":""},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.scot.fun\/damentals\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/pexels-ksenia-chernaya-5766461.jpg?fit=1200%2C719&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.scot.fun\/damentals\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/pexels-ksenia-chernaya-5766461.jpg?fit=1200%2C719&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.scot.fun\/damentals\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/pexels-ksenia-chernaya-5766461.jpg?fit=1200%2C719&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.scot.fun\/damentals\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/pexels-ksenia-chernaya-5766461.jpg?fit=1200%2C719&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.scot.fun\/damentals\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/pexels-ksenia-chernaya-5766461.jpg?fit=1200%2C719&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":3897,"url":"https:\/\/www.scot.fun\/damentals\/the-gig-entertainer-ramp\/","url_meta":{"origin":790,"position":4},"title":"The gig entertainer ramp","author":"scot","date":"January 19, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"I made a tool for gig entertainers so they could get more of the gigs they want. It's awesome and has helped folks make more money and do more fulfilling work already. It's called the Gig Entertainer Ramp Originally, it was called the Gig Entertainer Survival Kit 2024. i wanted\u2026","rel":"","context":"Similar post","block_context":{"text":"Similar post","link":""},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.scot.fun\/damentals\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/48278076_10156895729624889_7309500554961485824_o.jpg?fit=1080%2C718&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.scot.fun\/damentals\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/48278076_10156895729624889_7309500554961485824_o.jpg?fit=1080%2C718&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.scot.fun\/damentals\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/48278076_10156895729624889_7309500554961485824_o.jpg?fit=1080%2C718&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.scot.fun\/damentals\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/48278076_10156895729624889_7309500554961485824_o.jpg?fit=1080%2C718&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.scot.fun\/damentals\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/48278076_10156895729624889_7309500554961485824_o.jpg?fit=1080%2C718&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":1751,"url":"https:\/\/www.scot.fun\/damentals\/attention-is-heavy-for-entertainers\/","url_meta":{"origin":790,"position":5},"title":"Attention is Heavy for Entertainers","author":"scot","date":"September 28, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"Seth Godin is a constant inspiration. I'm a marketing geek and his blog post today started my brain. This is all his blog post says... When we say, \u201chere, I made this,\u201d we\u2019re not seeking credit, we\u2019re taking responsibility.To be seen, to learn, to own it, to do it better\u2026","rel":"","context":"Similar post","block_context":{"text":"Similar post","link":""},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.scot.fun\/damentals\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/swing.jpg?fit=1200%2C616&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.scot.fun\/damentals\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/swing.jpg?fit=1200%2C616&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.scot.fun\/damentals\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/swing.jpg?fit=1200%2C616&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.scot.fun\/damentals\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/swing.jpg?fit=1200%2C616&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.scot.fun\/damentals\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/swing.jpg?fit=1200%2C616&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.scot.fun\/damentals\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/790","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.scot.fun\/damentals\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.scot.fun\/damentals\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.scot.fun\/damentals\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/15"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.scot.fun\/damentals\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=790"}],"version-history":[{"count":10,"href":"https:\/\/www.scot.fun\/damentals\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/790\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2241,"href":"https:\/\/www.scot.fun\/damentals\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/790\/revisions\/2241"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.scot.fun\/damentals\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2239"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.scot.fun\/damentals\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=790"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.scot.fun\/damentals\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=790"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.scot.fun\/damentals\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=790"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}