If I can't pass my PPL should I give up?

[atc_is_god]

Yes, you should give up. The PPL does not require a high standard and if you are having trouble meeting it, you are not meant to fly.

[co-joe]

You need to sit down with a high time instructor who isn't motivated by hours or money and lay it all out for them. You need a detailed list of all of your training, and a realistic list of your aviation goals. A place like the Calgary Flying Club, book a few hours with the CFI, and ask this exact question. No class 4's looking for time. I flew with lots of 100+ hour student pilots, and it always came down to life getting in the way. Marriage, kids, work, money, etc. Somebody who is an expert, career instructor, needs to audit your history and make a professional assessment. Be prepared for hard truths. I never met anyone who was un-teachable, but I certainly met people who had no business mixing flying with the other stuff they had going on in their lives.

[Bede]

I never met anyone who was un-teachable,

I don't think that's the point. (Almost) everyone can "learn" how to fly. The issue is that the weak student, although they passed a flight test is now a weak student who does not have the physical flying skills or judgment to deal with a novel situation. The second issue is that a weak PPL candidate may pass the flight test and with enough time may pass a CPL flight test. Then they get working for a company and either they flunk out because they can't get to standard in the minimum time (which, BTW, is all any company will give you) or they endlessly work the ramp because no one will let them touch an airplane.

I really respect the OP's self assessment, but the modern theory of "you can do anything you put your mind to" is simply false.

[co-joe]

I never met anyone who was un-teachable,

I don't think that's the point. (Almost) everyone can "learn" how to fly. The issue is that the weak student, although they passed a flight test is now a weak student who does not have the physical flying skills or judgment to deal with a novel situation. The second issue is that a weak PPL candidate may pass the flight test and with enough time may pass a CPL flight test. Then they get working for a company and either they flunk out because they can't get to standard in the minimum time (which, BTW, is all any company will give you) or they endlessly work the ramp because no one will let them touch an airplane.

I really respect the OP's self assessment, but the modern theory of "you can do anything you put your mind to" is simply false.

I'm with you there. And that's why I suggested OP sits down with a chief flying instructor to talk about not only their experience so far, but what their goals are. If their goal is airline pilot then testing is an ever present stressor as you know. Is it test anxiety, or a learning disability, or are we talking traumatic brain injury? If you gave up because some dude on Avcanada said you should they how would any of us ever succeed?

[Conflicting Traffic]

Several folks here have recommended that you quit. It's entirely possible that they're right. But you really haven't provided enough information to fully defend that conclusion.

It's also possible (dare I say plausible) that you're a victim of garbage teaching. Has your instructor sat you down and had "the talk"? I.E - have they openly suggested to you that this may not be for you, that maybe you should be spending your money on something else? If you're at 150 hours and failing as badly as you say, this conversation is long overdue (by at least 90 hours, maybe quite a bit more). If it hasn't happened, then it's possible (likely?) that your instructor(s) is/are providing crap instruction and milking you for hours. Now that's a pretty serious accusation, and I can't conclusively say that's it's correct. But given the limited information we have to work with here, it fits on our list of possibilities -- along with the possibility that this just isn't for you.

So your possibilities are:
1) you have received terrible instruction,
2) you have received (at best) mediocre instruction, and your life includes a lot of distractions, or
3) you really aren't cut out for this.

Each of these will probably call for a different course of action moving forward. So how do you figure out which of these you're dealing with? Take co-joe's advice:

You need to sit down with a high time instructor who isn't motivated by hours or money and lay it all out for them. You need a detailed list of all of your training, and a realistic list of your aviation goals. No class 4's looking for time. Somebody who is an expert, career instructor, needs to audit your history and make a professional assessment. Be prepared for hard truths.

This. Do this.

Edited and emphasis added. Not to slag Class IV's, but you really need someone whose knowledge is tempered by experience, and who isn't motivated by anything other than giving you useful feedback.

[PilotDAR]

I Sure support the preceding few introspective posts....

[DadoBlade]

Give up? Yes. Yes indeed.

[rhiscreynolds]

I believe that if this is your dream, that the only thing holding you back is ass power. You soul, your mind, is in it. Sit on your butt and get the work done. Try try again.

I wish you all the best and good luck.

[TeePeeCreeper]

I believe that if this is your dream, that the only thing holding you back is ass power. You soul, your mind, is in it. Sit on your butt and get the work done. Try try again.

I wish you all the best and good luck.

+1 to the above comment.

We all learn in different manners and at different speeds.
Sure, some people just “don’t have it in them” to be a competent pilot. With that said, I am a firm believer that those whom struggle at something but choose to “double down” with hard work generally become better than their non struggling counterparts at the end of the road.

Be safe, don’t rush it and don’t over think it. With proper mentoring you’ll eventually only become a better pilot for the amount of determination you put into it.

All the best,

TPC