25 Signs It's Time to Give Up on Your Dreams, In GIFs

Do you rap? Are you a DJ? An aspiring model? Here's why you should walk away.

March 14, 2013

Not Available Lead — Image via Complex Original

Dreams are great, but the importance of having a strong grip on reality shouldn't be underestimated. We may live in the time of where fame and #influence seem to take root overnight, but that doesn't mean it's going to happen for you. We're sorry.

Don Quixote may have urged you to chase your impossible dream, but you shouldn't be taking advice from an old man who fancies himself a knight and charges at windmills. Face up to cold, hard reality like the rest of us, and stop making your friends reassure you of talents you both know you don't have.

We'll give it to you straight: You're never going to be an astronaut, and you're definitely not going to be a rapper. These are 25 Signs It's Time to Give Up on Your Dreams, In GIFs.

[Ed. Note—I was roughly half of these people at one time in my life, so please don’t take this too seriously. Laugh at other people’s misfortunes, and shake off the ones that hit too close to home. Which will be all of them.]

We'll give it to you straight: You're never going to be an astronaut, and you're definitely not going to be a rapper. These are 25 Signs It's Time to Give Up on Your Dreams, In GIFs.

You're an actor, and your hairline is receding faster than you can acquire new roles.

You were cast for an infomercial as the "before".

You were cast in an infomercial as the "before."

You're a DJ who can only book brunch parties.

You think your Twitter followers are an indicator of your fame/success. Being an #influencer doesn't mean you've made it, sorry.

You're an aspiring ballerina, and you're 25-years-old.

You're a paegant mother.

The closest you've came to a gallery showing is having your art hung in Denny's. Hey, at least it was for sale!

You've had ten internships in your field and still haven't got hired.

You're an actor who did one commercial ten years ago and hasn't worked since.

You have an unoriginal YouTube channel that rips on other unoriginal YouTube channels.

You're a writer who never actually writes. No, tweets don't count.

You think you're a model because 2K thirsty followers on your Instagram.

You think you're a vocalist because you get a lot of applause at karaoke bars. FYI, those are pity claps.

You think you're a photographer just because you put a watermark on your shitty photos.

You're a dancer who lets horny 13-year-old boys grind on you at Bar Matzahs.

You think you're a model because you paid someone 2K to take your headshots.

You think you're an artist because your Instagram only has black and white images.

You're an aspiring stylist who dresses her friends for nights out to the club.

You're an aspiring stylist whose only gig is dressing your friends for nights out to the club.

You're a standup comedian, and the funniest part of your act is when you're heckled by the audience.

You're passing your mixtape on the street like Subway flyers.

You're an aspiring writer with a reblog-heavy Tumblr that has ten followers.

You have a band that can only get the 5 p.m. slot at clubs.

Your only claim to fame is being on a reality show...for one episode.

You're a struggle rapper hawking your music on Twitter.

You're a struggle rapper spamming people with your music on Twitter.

You think you're an editor because you correct grammar mistakes in the comments sections.

You think you're an editor because you correct grammar errors in the comments section.

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25 Signs It's Time to Give Up on Your Dreams, In GIFs

Do you rap? Are you a DJ? An aspiring model? Here's why you should walk away.

You're an actor, and your hairline is receding faster than you can acquire new roles.

You're an actor, and your hairline is receding faster than you can acquire new roles.

You were cast for an infomercial as the "before".

You were cast in an infomercial as the "before."

You're a DJ who can only book brunch parties.

You're a DJ who can only book brunch parties.

You think your Twitter followers are an indicator of your fame/success. Being an #influencer doesn't mean you've made it, sorry.

You think your Twitter followers are an indicator of your fame/success. Being an #influencer doesn't mean you've made it, sorry.

You're an aspiring ballerina, and you're 25-years-old.

You're an aspiring ballerina, and you're 25-years-old.

You're a paegant mother.

You're a paegant mother.

The closest you've came to a gallery showing is having your art hung in Denny's. Hey, at least it was for sale!

The closest you've came to a gallery showing is having your art hung in Denny's. Hey, at least it was for sale!

You've had ten internships in your field and still haven't got hired.

You've had ten internships in your field and still haven't got hired.

You're an actor who did one commercial ten years ago and hasn't worked since.

You're an actor who did one commercial ten years ago and hasn't worked since.

You have an unoriginal YouTube channel that rips on other unoriginal YouTube channels.

You have an unoriginal YouTube channel that rips on other unoriginal YouTube channels.

You're a writer who never actually writes. No, tweets don't count.

You're a writer who never actually writes. No, tweets don't count.

You think you're a model because 2K thirsty followers on your Instagram.

You think you're a model because 2K thirsty followers on your Instagram.

You think you're a vocalist because you get a lot of applause at karaoke bars. FYI, those are pity claps.

You think you're a vocalist because you get a lot of applause at karaoke bars. FYI, those are pity claps.

You think you're a photographer just because you put a watermark on your shitty photos.

You think you're a photographer just because you put a watermark on your shitty photos.

You're a dancer who lets horny 13-year-old boys grind on you at Bar Matzahs.

You're a dancer who lets horny 13-year-old boys grind on you at Bar Matzahs.

You think you're a model because you paid someone 2K to take your headshots.

You think you're a model because you paid someone 2K to take your headshots.

You think you're an artist because your Instagram only has black and white images.

You think you're an artist because your Instagram only has black and white images.

You're an aspiring stylist who dresses her friends for nights out to the club.

You're an aspiring stylist whose only gig is dressing your friends for nights out to the club.

You're a standup comedian, and the funniest part of your act is when you're heckled by the audience.

You're a standup comedian, and the funniest part of your act is when you're heckled by the audience.

You're passing your mixtape on the street like Subway flyers.

You're passing your mixtape on the street like Subway flyers.

You're an aspiring writer with a reblog-heavy Tumblr that has ten followers.

You're an aspiring writer with a reblog-heavy Tumblr that has ten followers.

You have a band that can only get the 5 p.m. slot at clubs.

You have a band that can only get the 5 p.m. slot at clubs.

Your only claim to fame is being on a reality show...for one episode.

Your only claim to fame is being on a reality show...for one episode.

You're a struggle rapper hawking your music on Twitter.

You're a struggle rapper spamming people with your music on Twitter.

You think you're an editor because you correct grammar mistakes in the comments sections.

You think you're an editor because you correct grammar errors in the comments section.

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