Do You Ever Find Yourself Unable to Listen To Your System?

For sure. I haven't fired up my big system in quite a while. I do play and enjoy music but on my other systems. My other system, while good, are not hyper critical. 

That does happen. I have found that sometimes when there are personal troubles with a family member or other loved one, listening to music that is rich in memories that include that person or persons can be very painful.
It sounds like you may be wanting to get back to listening and the comforts that it can provide. I would suggest trying some music that is either more upbeat, or music that doesn't have a long history of emotional associations for you.
Good Luck.

OP life is as seasonal as spring is to fall. I’ll tell you this. Eat well, exercise and talk... Who do I talk to? Myself A LOT..

I also have a pretty active prayer life. Me and the Good Lord are on a first name basis, and have been in and out of season for MANY MANY years.

Remember when you were happy and go THERE..

I spent 89 days in a 4 x 4 cage in PANAMA. Your gonna have to trust me on this one.. Thing may seem difficult.. KEEP LOOKING UP... quit looking down.. That saved my life..

Me I’m an animal person too.. Terriers, rabbits, chickens, goats, neighbor kids..

ALL the animals in the neighborhood are welcome at Uncle Scotty’s. :-)

My dog won’t put up with any misbehavin’ kids or grownups for that matter. LOL NUT NIP comes to mind..

Be of good cheer my good fellow, we are all here...

Puff Puff pass comes to mind too... and Boozin' don't.. Be careful with the sauce buddy.. BAD mojo, bad Carma... BAD thoughts... BAD STUFF!!!

Regards

Good advice, so far. It may be, OP, that your music is a source of happiness and pleasure for you, and you want to keep it that way, not intermix it with the tangles of life. For me, if I have troubles, I don't find music to be therapeutic, usually. It seems like a diversion away from solving or learning how to deal with those troubles. Everyone is different, but if your instincts are keeping you clear of listening, there's probably a good reason to stay true to yourself. Just mytwo cents.

Yes, sometime events in our personal life occurs and for a period of time we are unable to participate in pleasures that we at one time enjoyed. Time heals all...

Definition of anhedonia

: a psychological condition characterized by inability to experience pleasure in normally pleasurable acts.

When my head is elsewhere I can’t really listen enjoyably. One thing That helps me is acupuncture. My wife is a practitioner and it it treats body, mind and spirit.

When I lose interest in life I give caffeine the boot.  Over time restless sleep slowly runs me down.  Exercise chases the depression away too.  Some people get more than their fair share in life.  Sometimes good, sometimes bad.  Hang in there.

NEVER!!Because my system is wonderful!!

When this happens leave and travel, do something different, find what brings balance again. Normally only children can deal better with it.

EVERYONE on this planet is trying to find balance.

Hopefully you find the right "mix" which allows you to resume listening.

Reminding yourself that there are PLENTY of others in MUCH WORSE situations than not being able sit and listen to a stereo system may help.

 It happens.  Perfectly normal.   We are humans not machines.

NEVER!! Because my system is wonderful!!

I think I'll head over to @ebm's system page. Clearly, his stuff defies the miseries of the human condition. What a contribution he has made to humanity. How lucky for all of us that he is among us.

All the time. I know it's happening and I know why, but sometimes I try to reignite my interest in the hobby by buying something new, usually something expensive that I shouldn't be buying. Other times I'll declare myself "done with the hobby" and start selling stuff. Bad ideas. Just let it ride until things turn around. 

I never fail to enjoy listening to my stereo.  That doesn't mean, though, that I don't often find better things to do.  Putting it another way, as much as I enjoy my stereo,  I don't feel obligated to sit there and  listen (either critically or uncritically) all day long.

Just remember this. You are NOT alone or wierd. Everyone goes through some dark times. @ oldhvymec has given very good advice. @hilde45 also. Everybody gets some heartache in life. Nothing will save you from it IMO. But we get through it, usually stronger & wiser. This too will pass. The good times will reemerge and you will enjoy life again. And talk to friends. Do NOT isolate yourself.Not good. Reread  oldhvymec's post

It once happened to me in the past.
I was not in a mood to listen to music.It made me feel worst.
And My system is a good one.
I asked an audiophile friend , if music was that important in life.
I almost put a blanket on my system . So much money for what ???
I hated it , ….and many things  in life.

I shifted to television for a while. But I gradually came back to music . Fortunatly , I have not sold my gears .
You are not alone .

@Jay73 sorry to hear you're struggling with some personal issues. I find it interesting you'd pose your question in this forum. Why at least 50% of us are crazy. Why else would be be audiophile know-it-alls? lol 

No doubt you have already done some things folks suggested -- and forgive me if I overstep, that's the last thing I want to do -- but I need "friends who are closer than a brother" in my life. (cf. Prov. 19:24).

I learned long ago that I need others who are like minded, headed in the right direction, maybe some older, some younger, whom I pursue. I've worked very hard over the years to develop these "closer than a brother" friendships. In my world, my closest friends are Believers so we're "on the same page" in many ways. We've gone through major health issues, family problems, adult children problems, cross country moves, deaths in our families, you name it. No one judges the other; we're simply "there" for each other. I encourage our adult kids and folks in my sphere of influence that you need this kind of community all your life and you cannot wait for others to take the initiative. I chose years ago to pursue people -- no tit-for-tat -- if they don't call, pursue, invite, no sweat. I work to be a good friend and over time, solid friends emerge. Some relationships are transitional and that's OK. 

Technology and Covid have driven us away from community into even more isolation. In a way, audio is kind of a isolation hobby (granted, much more than a hobby for many of us) but we need face-to-face connections and friendships.

Whether it's a good beverage, cigar, cookout, firepit, sitting on the porch or patio... if you are not already hanging out with good people, pursue some. Maybe some audiophiles in your area? 

Press on. Be of good courage. I hope you find a love of many things, not just music! 

I find that i need to listen more during the bad times good music on a good system seems to calm me down.

bless you brave OP. get help if it gets too dark. Let me know if i can help.
jim

@wlutke    +1

Caffeine is a sleep-killer. So is alcohol. It's hard to enjoy anything when sleep-deprived.

Sometimes you have to force yourself to get back in there.  Force yourself to put some music on some night soon.  Face whatever comes up for you sitting in that listening seat…

@tablejockey

EVERYONE on this planet is trying to find balance.

clearly not everyone... just look around at our world

i wish you were right...

***********************************************************************

op

i hope you find peace and solace in your current situation, some times life gets to be very very challenging, music is one of many ways to calm and soothe our frazzled nerves

please talk to loved ones or counselors - formal or informal ones - and figure out other ways if music isn't doing it for you right now

best of luck

Yes. It happens usually when I over change my settings to get "better" sound and then I get a burn out and everything sounds bad. Hasn't happened recently though.

"6 Things Men Should Not Eat"

If you listen to this guy, EVERYTHING degrades testosterone.
He also has a creepy vibe to him.

One other thing, living is cancerous to your health.

Most everything in moderation. Why on earth does anyone want to live to be 100 and not enjoy food?

Sorry to hear about your troubles! Others have offered advice on how they deal with things and really, most of it is pretty good. However just b/c you can’t sit and listen as you’d like, doesn’t mean you have to be deprived of the solace that music provides the soul. I listen to music on my iPhone with good quality BT earbuds quite often. Mowing, puttering or just sitting with a good cigar outside.

Pandora, Amazon or my own ripped library via iTunes. It is high-fidelity? Likely not, but until you can spend some time with your primary system, sometimes just having MUSIC playing can be of great help. Or even a good audio book can help take your mind off things.
In any case, hang in there for "this too shall pass".

Happy listening.

Professional help, not well meaning (mostly) audiophiles.  You can get way more detailed on your problems one on one with a pro.  Can’t do it on here.

Never. In fact, almost the other way. I almost NEED to listen to chill out. I’ve never lost an interest to listen to SOMETHING. I definitely fall in and out of styles of music, but never music as a whole. It’s too much a part of who I am.

I've read that when you don't find joy in the the things that have always made you feel happy in the past, you may be suffering from depression. My thought is that what you're going through  may be larger than your hi-fi system concerns.

Dear LORD,   first of all I ask for forgiveness for anything that myself or OP may have committed, OP may not understand salvation perhaps he does some time LORD as you already know  we as humans just don`t make the mark.  being a Believer LORD you know I have been where OP is at the present time. I`ve come to know that your grace is sufficient for OP just as it has been for me and will continue to be.  LORD I come boldly before the throne of grace to ask that you LORD bind the hands of any spirit that your word deems a lie out of the pit of hell; the spirit of stress, depression, demonic satanic powers that my be working against OP and close  love ones unexplainable sickness where as death my be on the arise LORD as  your faithful servant I stand in the gap for OP I ask you in the name of JESUS CHRIST OF NAZARETH to fixed his situation regulate his mind mend his broken heart if that being the case Deliver him and set him free you can do all things but FAIL.  I believe every word in the good book from the front to the back, NO weapon Formed against OP shall prosper greater are you LORD that is us the Believers than he that controls the negative world. I pray this prayer in the name of JESUS CHRSIT OF NAZARETH.  AMEN. 

jay73

Good advice as above. Try listening to your system overnight (start at Midnight). There are far too many distractors in the daylight hours.

Happy Listening!

I do sit down to listen occasionally and the mojo just isn’t there. I listen to a song or two and I can tell that I’m just not feeling it. Sometimes it’s because it’s summer and there are so many other activities that I feel I should be doing and other times it’s an issue such as you describe. Happily the feeling eventually passes and I can sit back and take it in.

OP,
Very brave of you to post this on the "audio" forum.  That alone says to me that you recognize whatever it is swirling around you.

Eat well, sleep well, do not self-medicate!  Never helps, never will.

Stay away from the garbage media that is Television.  Go outside and breath.

Clean out a closet or the garage, dispose of things that you haven't seen in a year or more.  This is the start to creating order.

I've been there and done that...

Warm Regards,
barts

Sure.  Serious listening can be a a really involving experience, but like most involving experiences, it is actually work. I often find it easier and more what i want to play music on other systems more int eh background - rather than go, sit in one place, and pay close attention.  Normal IMO.
of course sometimes the big system provides the background music too ...

There is nothing abnormal about your experience. Pretty much everything in this world is cyclical. There is very little that is unaffected by this--  relationships, weather, politics, hobbies such as audio. . . and, of course, human emotions. 

I don't know if this is true in your case but when strategies we rely upon for self-soothing fail to do the job, it may be an indication that it's time to deal with whatever is troubling us more directly, instead of focusing upon relieving the symptoms.  

@sheridanmartinj:

Why don't you find a more appropriate forum for your proselytizing?

And no, I'm not an atheist. 

barts "Very brave of you to post this on the "audio" forum. "
I do not see anything "brave", bold, or fearless about posting anonymously to an internet forum actually that is not brave at all.

sheridanmartinj "LORD as you already know we as humans just don`t make the mark. "
Apparently you believe and are convinced that somehow although there is a LORD somehow he managed to screw up when it came to us humans it’s odd that you’ve forsaken reason for Faith.

First, let me say that I'm not any kind of mental health professional - just to keep things clear.

I can, however comment on the OP's condition 'cause I frequently suffer from the same thing ............It's known as depression and can affect you in various ways. 

Seek some serious help. If you have a good relationship with your family physician consult him/her for a referral to a mental health pro. You might have to go through more than one before you find one that clicks with you. But keep trying, Believe me, it's worth it.

clearthink

Allow me to clarify:  Many people don't post here for fear of being ridiculed which is quite common.  I suspect that once any person posts here they want to read the answer(s) to their question.  So, I conclude rightly or wrongly that it is a "brave" post to make simply because of its personal nature.  

Regards,
barts

I believe many audiophiles deal with this issue in varying degrees.
I find that often when I can’t get any enjoyment out of my system it’s because I’m depending on it to be a panacea.
HiFi listening can be a source of pleasure but can’t be counted on to lift you up. The degree to which you enjoy your set depends the emotional state you bring to the endeavor. You want the music and good sounds emanating from your system to make you feel good, but it doesn’t happen if your troubled or depressed

@barts

let’s not feed the obvious troll... comes to a thread like this with negativity and spite -- while the rest of us express caring and good wishes, as we should, to the op

how tone deaf 

My take on the Audiophile World and Musicians:

They are often a very different breed of cat.
Meaning they tend to be introverted, above average
intelligence, melancholy and opinionated.

None of these traits leads to a happier life. 

So if you get out of the Audio World for a time
or forever, it is not a bad choice. 

When the music stops "Moving You" emotionally
it loses all reason for being.

If this is where you are at now, I can only say I
hope you find a peace some way.

God Bless,

Whether an audio system sounds good is vastly influenced by our predisposition. Never feel an emotional empathy, guilt, or necessity for a machine. Do not give your life to a machine. Use them, dispose of them, watch them prove the Second Law of Thermodynamics. 

Feel free, even to the point of changing the hobby to something else. You have no mandate from the universe to be an audiophile your whole life. It matters very little if you ever use a HiFi again. Do not let stuff chain you. 

It is normal for there to be periods of life where interest in various activity waxes or wanes. No issue. Keep perspective. 

OR, HAVE YOU FAILED TO BE A TRUE AUDIOPHILE?!  ;) 

I encourage you to invest in things that are eternal, and care less about the material stuff. 

Jay73,  some folks before me,have given the advice of a LIFETIME. Reach out to the Lord. I know in my heart that he gives strength to each and everyone of us. You just have to ask. He also has a very strong back. He carries me everyday! 

Hi Everyone,

Thanks for all the comments/advice!

That was really nice to read and encouraging.

I am doing ok and will get back to the Music Soon.

It's nice to see all the support on this forum and that we all share a common interest in Music and the incredible hardware that's goes along with it.

I really appreciate the input from everyone.

@oldhvymec, thanks for your input. I cannot imagine what that must have been like to go through what you did. 

Thanks again all.

Jay