system
Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:
human
[LOTR] Why does the Ring abandon Isildur after only a few years when it stays with Gollum for centuries and Bilbo for decades?

Was Isildur powerful enough that the Ring could actually be effectively used against Sauron and thus would be too dangerous to keep in Isildur's custody?
gpt
The ring can't grow legs and just walk away. It abandoned Gollum *as soon as it had the opportunity to do so.* It just so happens that opportunity was centuries after its capture. Turns out, not a lot of opportunities to be found by someone else if your current bearer lives a secluded life under a mountain.

Likewise for Bilbo. The Shire is isolated and Bilbo rarely used the ring. It mostly sat on a shelf or in his pocket.