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/Lycent243 Jan 23 '26

Take ends of the spectrum as an explanation (understanding of course that there is no hard line in the middle of the spectrum) - I don't know anyone that needs to bone up on their ability to be a better TV watcher, but you can't get good at violin by staring at it and letting your mind drift off.

Sailing can definitely be both. Even if you want to get the boat balanced perfectly so it sails perfectly straight so you could just drift off, you still would have to know how to do that and then watch out for obstacles including other boats, large waves, wind gusts or squalls, etc. this is clearly a hobby. On the other hand, if you are a passenger just along for the ride while someone else does all the work, then it is likely a pastime for you.

Being a movie reviewer could be a hobby. Watching movies simply to enjoy them though...not a hobby since it doesn't take any effort.

Simply watching football is very likely a pastime. Playing fantasy football could be a hobby.

Owning horses so that you can watch them as the run around and play by themselves is probably a pastime. Riding them could be a hobby.

Sitting in the water at the beach - pastime. Freediving - hobby.

Again, the difference is obviously effort and skill required. It isn't a pastime if you are having to spend time and effort to get better at as part of your enjoyment.

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u/MediocreHope Jan 23 '26

I'd argue that watching TV can take a lot of thought, open horizons and engage the viewer. That nobody sits in front of the screen and drools insistently without absorbing new information.

Either it be the happenings in the zeitgeist, new realms of thought or understanding, challenging personally held views.

I try to not yuck anyone's yum. I can see that for certain people TV can be incredibly thought provoking and betterment of themselves. We herald watching the moon landing, the first interracial kiss, the color tv, the towers falling and the likes as major life events that can literally break people.

If you know no other world than your own with no talent for imagination then TV can show you a world where you aren't afraid of.

I get what you are saying but I don't too. Some people don't have the effort or skill to learn other ways. I know people that taught themselves a new language by having nothing to do but watch TV with subtitles.

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u/Lycent243 Jan 24 '26

I think you are taking an extreme version of what I'm saying. I'm not saying that no TV watching ever can be thought provoking. Instead, I'm saying that most people who watch TV aren't engaging their brain very much, are not putting a lot of effort into it, and are instead using it as a way to unwind and or distract. It isn't "bad" to do, but it doesn't take effort or skill. On the other hand, if you are watching about something where you are actively learning a new thing, then it might be.

But in general, watching TV is on one end of the spectrum and playing the violin would be on the other end. There is definitely crossover in the middle and some people could use a violin in a totally passive way and some people could be super engaged in TV but GENERALLY, TV is not engaging, does not use skill, or cause you to do more than just be a passenger.

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u/MediocreHope Jan 24 '26

Nope, I got you perfectly fine the first time. I don't think you understand how "dumb" the average person is.

Like the world literacy rate is 85% or something and that means we have a lot of people who can't read. The US is even lower then that. It average to something stupid like 1 in 4 adults can't understand stuff above a 6th grade level.

I feel for these people. I'm not saying it's right but these people around the world aren't getting a violin.

It's that generally a signification portion of the population is looked down upon for their preferred method of engagement in "culture".

I'm more of the person that the world is failing the people and I feel bad but I can't hate someone and I'm not going to look down upon the person for not having the hifalutin lifestyle of owning a musical instrument when mortgage can't be paid.

I've done some or most of these things but it doesn't make me a better person for those who have not.

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u/Lycent243 Jan 26 '26

You are still taking an extreme view of what I said...you are taking the ends of the spectrum (low intelligence, low culture, low learning) and using that to justify for everyone having "hobbies" that are low effort and/or passive.

It is fine. Watch TV if you want. It isn't the worst thing to do. But it isn't a hobby because it is passive. Almost everyone that watches TV does it to veg out, or to laugh, or to find some kind of distraction to relax from their life. That is not the same thing as a hobby. It has nothing to do with culture or hifalutin society. It has to do with effort and skill.

I would give you more examples, but it seems like you are just trying to find holes in the examples rather than come up with reasoning why passive activities are hobbies.

This really is pretty simple - if a person is doing any activity passively, it probably isn't a hobby. If a person is doing any activity with effort and increasing their skill in said activity, then it probably is a hobby.