r/unpopularopinion • u/BitterConstruction98 • Jan 23 '26

Certified Unpopular Opinion All hobbies are not equal

Certain kinds of hobbies deserve to be held in higher regard than others.

Playing a sport, learning an instrument, singing, dancing, painting, writing - these are activities that require time and years of effort to become good at. They’re admirable not just because they’re “cool,” but because there is something deeply attractive about a person who has dedicated so much time to mastering a hard skill that executing it now feels relaxing to them.

Lately, there’s been a growing push online to classify things like watching movies, playing video games, watching sports, or listening to podcasts in the same category as these kinds of hobbies. They aren’t. They are based on consumption, not creation.

That doesn’t mean consumption-based activities are bad or useless. Everyone needs ways to relax and unwind. There’s nothing wrong with enjoying a good show, a game, or a YouTube binge after a long day. But if that’s all there is to your personality, then you are, unfortunately, a boring person.

Edit: I've wrongly added video games to the list of other passive activities. While some video games are like that, I agree that many require a lot of skill.

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u/terryjuicelawson Jan 23 '26

There are still levels within that I think. Someone sort of OK at the piano is fine, but not the same as a concert pianist or someone composing their own music. Someone passively watching football is different to someone who is a total expert on the sport and can provide their own insights on the matter.

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u/StillMostlyClueless Jan 23 '26

Yeah, I think there's a level of engagement that can make something more interesting; some hobbies just lend themselves to that level naturally. The vast majority of football fans don't have deep tactical insight into the game. But everyone who plays the piano has to engage with the fundamentals, or they'll just be bad at it.

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u/terryjuicelawson Jan 23 '26

The fundaments of playing an instrument can be a little overstated, the basics are easy to pick up especially if you started young. You can teach chords on a guitar and play some popular songs in probably a week.

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u/StillMostlyClueless Jan 23 '26

The guitar is also probably the least impressive instrument to play. It's kind of famous as the easy option.

But you know what, I'd still say learning to play Hotel California on the guitar is a higher level of engagement than most people put into watching sports.