Well. Lets say you're yoyoing at a public venue, most likely school. Im sure this has happened to everyone. Some jerk says these quotes for example:
“You have no life”
“Why are you playing with a kids toy? You Los3r”
“You have way to much time on your hands. Get a lif3”
“Your gay/ yoyos are gay”
I want to write this to say that you shouldn't let judgmental people take you down. People that do this are just insecure bullies who have nothing better to do then pick on people that have found something in life that gives them true joy. Honestly, if you have a """""friend"""""" who says these kind of things to you, they are not your friend. A true friend doesnt judge anothers hobby, no matter how strange.
Dont let this get to you, and throw on. Shove your yoyoing in their face. Say “I am secure, and do something i enjoy instead of being a poser”. Many people on here are high schoolers and middle schools, where these statements normally occur. We have all been called names and such from yoyoing at least ONCE. We understand. The cruel statement mean nothing. They are just screaming “I have nothing better to do then pick on a person with an acual hobby!”
You are not alone, and i dare speak for the yoyo community as a whole, but it seems like everyone ive encountered are very helpful and understanding. I was embraced with generousity when i came to yoyoexpert! A sizeable amount of my yoyo collection is derived from the generous deeds of others. Special thanks to jwil45 and totalartist.
So dont quit yoyoing just to look cool in front of the popular people. Be yourself, and yoyo on!
I think people who actively go out of their way to tell you that you have no life or that you have too much time on your hands need to go take a good look at themselves in the mirror. Life’s way too short to waste away spewing such bile.
Just thinking out loud here, any time you do anything in public you’re susceptible to public scrutiny. I think you need to be in the “right” place where you’re comfortable, and know the people around you are mature enough to accept something different like yoyoing. Of course nothing is 100% for sure, so you should always prepare yourself mentally for any criticism (or low blows), and how you’ll react to it – hopefully in a non-physical way, unless you need to defend yourself.
To play devils advocate, I think it’s possible that those people think you’re just showing off. You’re doing something they know they can’t do, and/or you’re doing something that isn’t highly valued in society. People will always try to prey on one another (either physically mentally) – it’s human nature – no matter how idiotic it really is. Unfortunately, this type of idiocy is very prevalent in middle/high school.
I’m not saying the thrower is doing anything wrong, nor am I defending the attacker, just trying to shed a little light on the situation.
When I say “you” I mean whoever the thrower may be.
Thank goodness for being an old dude. It’s nothing more than an eccentricity to anyone I’ve ever talked to. Most say things like “I used to do that!” (with an Imperial? I don’t think so!) and just want to talk about it. Only ever had positive comments.
Have never felt mocked or in danger because of it, and I’ll throw my yoyo wherever I care to.
Not saying my experience should inform your own behaviour or judgment, just recognizing that certain privileges come with age and also not giving a crap.
It’s tough being younger, though. Young people judge each other left, right, and center. I don’t miss it. I miss the healthy back (my spine is a wreck!) but that’s about it.
Im sorry for any of you young throwers who go threw this. I never had to deal with this because I went threw my yoyo phase in elementary school then stopped until I was 25 and that was when my eyes were opened to a yoyos true possibilities. I always get the same stuff as Greg was saying like oh I remember yoyoing or can you walk the dog? To anybody who goes through this and questions giving up something they love because of a few jerks know this. Those people probably say those things because they are so uncomfortable in there own skin that they have to find things in others to point out and make fun of so they dont have to deal with the fact that there just a bunch of unoriginal fallowers who spend every waking moment trying to live for others so they look cool or fit in. I know school can be rough and I can’t even imagine the added pressure that all this social media puts on young folks but honestly if you weren’t yoyoing they would probably find some other reason to talk crap. You can’t please everybody so you might as well try to please the ones you actually care for and most of all please yourself. I am a proud yoyoer and if someone has something negative to say… I can’t hear it cause im to busy being awesome with my yoyo lol.
I’m 23 and I find that even at my relatively young age I never get any hassle or criticism. People just seem to be impressed by it… I’ve been teaching a few of my mates to bind actually.
However at school it is bound to happen, and whilst I agree that you shouldn’t care what people think, a certain amount of shrewdness can definitely help. If you’re in a class with people you know are going to start trouble, then it might be worth just leaving the yoyo in your pocket till later. I’m not implying that you should be scared of them or ashamed of what youre doing, but foreseeing the problem before it starts and knowing when not to yoyo can save you any unnecessary hassle.
You guys need to figure this out. It’s not about you yoyoing. These people have worked hard at learning to be negative and passing that desire on to us. They hone their skills and look for a weak moment and pounce. They don’t care what you are doing they just want to demonstrate their “bummer” abilities.They have worked hard to perfect them, after all! Show some appreciation…sheesh. To make the world negative and miserable is the goal. It’s a game! You have to plan and prepare. I mean really, “You have no life,” isn’t an original comment, and I contend that a life with yoyoing in it, at some time, in any ammount, has more value than the same life without.
So when those people come to show their “bummer abilities” are you going to give them what they want? Not me!
The people who say these things to you are basically YouTube commenters in real life. They think they’re cool and funny for sayin “m************ ***** LOOOL YOU’RE GAAAAAAAAAYYYYYYY bleepbleep LOL IM SO FUNNY RITE?!?!” but they’re really not.
Just know that you have people on your side (Bros AKA yoyoers) and the naysayers don’t.
I think it is more of a Middle School problem than anything else, because people aren’t as mature. I’ve noticed that between 7th, 8th and 9th grade, the criticism has decreased drastically by year. Nowadays, I don’t usually get flak about yoyoing, and when I do, I wouldn’t even have to support myself. The other people watching would probably tell the other person to stop because they like watching so much.
I have had may people who I dont really know in my high school, who stop and ask me to do tricks for them and they ask questions theyre not usually mean. There are those extremely rare times though where people make fun of me for spending so much money and putting time into learning tricks, and i usually dont have to defend myself cuz other people will cuz they like that i yoyo for them and they think its cool.
Like yesterday, i was yoyoing im math class cuz the student teacher likes to watch me yoyo and i usually finish my work before others and this one kid said, “do you really waste your time and money on a stupid kids toy”, before i had even time to respond the student teacher just said, “For one, unlike you he actually has time to waste because he gets his work done quickly and has the second best mark in the class, which is why hes having fun while your still doing work. And also how much does your hocky stick (we have almost near year round hocky at my school) cost?”, the kid said proudly that his hocky stick cost over $200, my student teacher then, “so your making fun of him for spending $40 on a yoyo while you spent $200 on a stick”, the kid didnt speak and more.
Really it all depends on whos around you when you do it.
To make the world negative and miserable is the goal. It’s a game! You have to plan and prepare. I mean really, “You have no life,” isn’t an original comment, and I contend that a life with yoyoing in it, at some time, in any ammount, has more value than the same life without.