Has anyone ever stopped learning Esperanto? I'm considering quitting for the following reasons:

1.It can only be used online, at conventions and when traveling to certain areas in which you must be dependent on the few people you can speak to in order to explore. I want to be able to communicate in the country's language.

2.Naturally developed languages have a history and culture. I have little interest in the culture of Esperanto.

3.There is not much media in the language. There are no things in it that interest me.

4.Where I live it is not spoken. Spanish, French and a few other languages are spoken. It has been very hard for me to find people to practice with and I need as many friends as I can get right now.

I picked up Esperanto to help me learn another language but I realized that when I was learning Japanese on my own, I liked it and should have stuck with it. I took a required virtual class for school and chose German. I really enjoyed it. It was the only one I finished and was easy. Later in public school I took a Spanish class but failed because I found it hard to find anything I liked about it. I wish I had stuck with one of the natural languages. My reasons for giving them up were wrong. I think Esperanto would help me learn another language but it is hard to learn something you are not finding any connection with.

oliviakw:Has anyone ever stopped learning Esperanto? I'm considering quitting for the following reasons:

1.It can only be used online, at conventions and when traveling to certain areas in which you must be dependent on the few people you can speak to in order to explore. I want to be able to communicate in the country's language.

2.Naturally developed languages have a history and culture. I have little interest in the culture of Esperanto.

3.There is not much media in the language. There are no things in it that interest me.

4.Where I live it is not spoken. Spanish, French and a few other languages are spoken. It has been very hard for me to find people to practice with and I need as many friends as I can get right now.

I picked up Esperanto to help me learn another language but I realized that when I was learning Japanese on my own, I liked it and should have stuck with it. I took a required virtual class for school and chose German. I really enjoyed it. It was the only one I finished and was easy. Later in public school I took a Spanish class but failed because I found it hard to find anything I liked about it. I wish I had stuck with one of the natural languages. My reasons for giving them up were wrong. I think Esperanto would help me learn another language but it is hard to learn something you are not finding any connection with.

Yes. I stopped learning Esperanto a few months back, but I just started again last week. A few reasons were among the ones you listed, although point 1 tends to be the same for any language, which is to say that you usually have to seek out speakers of the language you are learning.

I started learning German about 2 years ago, and I picked it up so quickly that for the past year I've been working in an office were the main language is German. It's been rough. Esperanto probably would have helped me out a ton, but in any case, I speak German with confidence (In fact, I'm currently procrastinating. I should be writing an essay about Goethe's "Die Leiden des jungen Werthers".) That's why I initially stopped. I had too much on my plate with German. Now that I'm comfortable with my German, I have set aside time for Esperanto.

I am also learning a couple other languages, but I picked up Esperanto for one simple reason: There's no reason not to pick it up. There aren't a lot of speakers? True. So learn it and add 1 to the number of speakers. It takes almost no time, compared to other languages. A very sobering reason to do Esperanto is this: Any language you try will be HARD, and at some point, you WILL want to walk away. Esperanto is a good primer, and it could serve the purpose for you that German served for me. I'm learning Dutch right now, and every time I feel discouraged, I think "If I was able to tackle German, I can do Dutch....". You will have that feeling about whatever natuarl language you learn after Esperanto.

oliviakw:1.It can only be used online, at conventions and when traveling to certain areas in which you must be dependent on the few people you can speak to in order to explore. I want to be able to communicate in the country's language.

Influence people to learn Esperanto then.
The lack of speakers doesn't bother me, and the amount of speakers is increasing any way. (I think the 2,000,000 speakers might be shy of the actual number, and it could be between 2,000,000 to 6,000,000)

oliviakw:3.There is not much media in the language. There are no things in it that interest me.

I agree, and that is probably why more people should start making more media. lol
Like, I know there is a lot of books, but I am not particularly interested in reading.
Once I can speak Esperanto better, I will make games in it!

It is up to you. If you don't like it then don't force yourself.

Nobody ever does anything unless there is a tangible reward. People like to think of themselves as altruists, however, there is nothing further from the truth. We are all pleasure seeking heathens. We seek pleasure and avoid pain. People do volunteer work because it feels good.

This is Maslow's hierarchy of needs.

If anyone of these needs were being fulfilled by learning Esperanto, then I guarantee that you would be learning it and you would feel passionate about it. For example, if you had a GF who only speaks Esperanto, I bet you would never quit.

I am motivated to learn because of self-actualisation (self improvement) and entertainment. If the language takes off like Bitcoin, then Esperanto will be a viable means by which most of these needs could be fulfilled.

Computers were super nerdy and considered useless until Steve Jobs and Bill Gates. Computers were never cool until recently.

Why don't you just take a break and I am sure you will come back when you get a headache studying some natural language.

AllenHartwell:Don't let the door hit you, traitor.

Bro, seriously? Your not helping anyone, your making things worse. Your a fool to call someone you have no clue about a traitor. Don't assume I'll stop learning Esperanto, I may just need a break.

SciBerC:

oliviakw:1.It can only be used online, at conventions and when traveling to certain areas in which you must be dependent on the few people you can speak to in order to explore. I want to be able to communicate in the country's language.

Influence people to learn Esperanto then.
The lack of speakers doesn't bother me, and the amount of speakers is increasing any way. (I think the 2,000,000 speakers might be shy of the actual number, and it could be between 2,000,000 to 6,000,000)

oliviakw:3.There is not much media in the language. There are no things in it that interest me.

I agree, and that is probably why more people should start making more media. lol
Like, I know there is a lot of books, but I am not particularly interested in reading.
Once I can speak Esperanto better, I will make games in it!

I have gotten two people to learn it so far, which I think will help Esperanto spread. But it's pretty obvious I need to talk to more people or find another way.

Alkanadi:It is up to you. If you don't like it then don't force yourself.

Nobody ever does anything unless there is a tangible reward. People like to think of themselves as altruists, however, there is nothing further from the truth. We are all pleasure seeking heathens. We seek pleasure and avoid pain. People do volunteer work because it feels good.

This is Maslow's hierarchy of needs.

If anyone of these needs were being fulfilled by learning Esperanto, then I guarantee that you would be learning it and you would feel passionate about it. For example, if you had a GF who only speaks Esperanto, I bet you would never quit.

I am motivated to learn because of self-actualisation (self improvement) and entertainment. If the language takes off like Bitcoin, then Esperanto will be a viable means by which most of these needs could be fulfilled.

Computers were super nerdy and considered useless until Steve Jobs and Bill Gates. Computers were never cool until recently.

Why don't you just take a break and I am sure you will come back when you get a headache studying some natural language.

I believe it would help me with esteem and friendship. Smart chart! thank you

Alkanadi:Nobody ever does anything unless there is a tangible reward. People like to think of themselves as altruists, however, there is nothing further from the truth. We are all pleasure seeking heathens. We seek pleasure and avoid pain. People do volunteer work because it feels good.

Quoted for truth. Epicurus was right! Now we just have to figure out how Esperanto can lead us to aponia and ataraxia...

brianjordan328:

oliviakw:
Esperanto is a good primer, and it could serve the purpose for you that German served for me. I'm learning Dutch right now, and every time I feel discouraged, I think "If I was able to tackle German, I can do Dutch....". You will have that feeling about whatever natuarl language you learn after Esperanto.

I agree. most of my acquaintances picked Spanish class because they thought it would be easy. It always seems easy at the beginning. I had a problem with Spanish gender but none whatsoever with German gender. every Esperanto word I learn is easy to add to a sentence without worrying where to put it or what gender to use. Your story is inspiring.

The best part about Esperanto is that learning it is completely voluntary. We do not learn it to make more money or get a better job. We learn Esperanto to communicate with others on a neutral platform. If somebody doesn't like that, then that is fine. They should learn to do or speak or play whatever they want. It should be a free world.