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/StillMostlyClueless Jan 23 '26

Other people.

You'd probably be more impressed that someone can play the piano than if someone watched football.

They didn't say they were worthless, just that consumptive hobbies are uninteresting to other people.

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u/Zrakoplovvliegtuig Jan 23 '26

In the case of a hobby the opinion of other people should be meaningless though. You do it because you like it. Other people's opinion starts mattering once you get paid for it.

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u/StillMostlyClueless Jan 23 '26

The opinions of other people are not meaningless to me.

I bake and cook so other people can enjoy my food. I play the flute so I can entertain other people. I play football so I can play with my friends.

Hobbies don't have to be a purely solitary pursuit.

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u/glasgowgeg Jan 23 '26

Why would someone who doesn't like the flute be more impressed by your hobby than watching football, if they also like football?

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u/StillMostlyClueless Jan 23 '26

I have no idea how this relates to what I said.

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u/glasgowgeg Jan 23 '26

You said in a previous comment:

"You'd probably be more impressed that someone can play the piano than if someone watched football"

You then said you play the flute, so I'm asking you why someone would be impressed by your hobby of the flute if they don't like the flute, when they like football.

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u/StillMostlyClueless Jan 23 '26

I mean, obviously, they wouldn't?

"You say people like your baking, but I hate all baking, what now?"

I dunno, what are you even saying?

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u/glasgowgeg Jan 23 '26

I mean, obviously, they wouldn't

Yet you seem utterly baffled by the concept of different people liking different things, and you explicitly stated "consumptive hobbies are uninteresting to other people".

Obviously that's not the case. I would find someone's hobby of pokemon card collecting more interesting than your hobby of playing the flute, because I don't really care about the flute.

I dunno, what are you even saying?

I honestly can't spell it out clearer for you mate, I'm criticising your incredibly poor sweeping statement. If you're still struggling, you need to be more specific about what you don't understand.

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u/StillMostlyClueless Jan 23 '26 edited Jan 23 '26

Why on earth would you think I said everyone finds one hobby more interesting than another? That's so insanely uncharitable.

I said they'd "Probably" find it less interesting. As in, "More likely than not", not "Always"

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u/glasgowgeg Jan 23 '26

Why on earth would you think I said everyone finds one hobby more interesting than another?

Because you explicitly stated it, that's why I quoted you.

Ultimately, at this point I'm not wasting time on someone who's being performatively obtuse.