After you've spent hours and hours and a lot of effort on something, it's hard to just give it up. It seems kind of like having a child. You don't just up and decide one day that you don't want to be a parent anymore. Our music becomes part of us, as individuals. And giving it up would involve a lot more than most people might think.
Most people call giving up the easy way out.
I never said it was harder. I said you reach a point where you simply CAN'T quit. You could quit playing, and quit trying to be successful, but the music will always be a part of you. Just as if you're born and raised in New York City, you can't quit being a New Yorker. Even if you move to New Zealand, New York will always be a part of you.