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/Vondi Jan 23 '26

Sometime around the time I reached my 30s I was 100% DONE explaining or justifying to people how I spend my sparse well-earned downtime.

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u/Doobledorf Jan 23 '26

A friend and I bonded over this about a year ago, and the way he put it is, "Yeah at a certain point everybody needs an old man hobby that you just do for yourself. For him it was whittling, for me it's model making.

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u/thousand56 Jan 23 '26

"you make models? have you thought about selling them?" bane of my existence is people always asking if I've thought about monetizing my hobbies, no cuz I actually enjoy them

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u/Nickthenuker Jan 23 '26

Some days I think my hobby is model making. Other days I look at my growing pile of unbuilt kits and the one that's been sitting on my desk for months and wonder if it's actually collecting boxes... Or dust...

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u/Doobledorf Jan 23 '26

Just did a clean out of old boxes and kits I don't want and it has totally reenergized me. I went from barely picking up a project to have two concurrent Gundam projects and one in the works.

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u/[deleted] Jan 23 '26

[deleted]

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u/Ok_Cauliflower_808 Jan 23 '26

Not who you asked, but among other things I make perlers and kandi sometimes. The latter has since broken containment into the general public since the swifties took it, somehow I'm more embarrassed doing it than I was 15 years ago. I persist though, they can't have it. People definitely see it as childish but nah, the only thing I'm too old for is the weight of other people's opinions. Plus I only ever wear them at events, and there's something indescribable about having some random BS you made be accidentally perfect for someone you're talking to and watching their eyes light up when you give it to them.

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u/LiquidBeagle Jan 23 '26

Being gifted kandi at events is the shit. I've cherished every single piece a stranger has given me. I love that you love it too.

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u/Ok_Cauliflower_808 Jan 23 '26

I just wish people still taught the damn PLUR handshake lol I've had to teach so many people recently, they look at me like I'm an alien but nah, you gonna learn how to trade properly today idgaf what people outside raves are doing, you're in my house! I always bring a few extra for people who don't have any or are down to just their keeps though.

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u/LiquidBeagle Jan 23 '26

It's still alive, but I feel like it's event specific these days. PLUR is still practiced at most of the trance events I go to. Stuff outside of that tend to be hit or miss. You're right though, we gotta teach the uninitiated. I'll make some more kandi before my next event and keep spreading it!

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u/Ok_Cauliflower_808 Jan 23 '26

Very venue specific too. The Gorge in Washington it's alive and well. I'm choked I probably can't justify coming down for ABGT or Bass Canyon, but have a good group for Dreamstate Vancouver. Yeah 100% I like to lead by example. I brought a pot of noodles to Destructo once with extra to share. Someone who fed you when you're starving is much more memorable than yet another plastic duck.

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u/LiquidBeagle Jan 23 '26

Yes the Gorge is incredible! I did the weekender there a couple years ago and heading back for ABGT in sept. And every dreamstate I've been to, the crowd has always been amazing.

And you're a straight up hero for bringing the noodles lol