In a society where skills are commodified and a person’s time is dominated by work and other stressors, the practice of hobbies has never been more important. Furthermore, it is equally important to create a world in which people are encouraged to pursue hobbies without the expressed purpose of being good at them.
A hobby is defined by Merriam-Webster as “a pursuit outside one’s regular occupation engaged in especially for relaxation.” Within the final word of that definition lies the core concept: a hobby should be a source of joy and unwinding in a person’s life.
Gallup reported a 13% increase from the early 2000s to 2023 in the number of U.S. adults who consider their hobbies and recreational activities “extremely or very important.” Along with a study published by the National Library of Medicine asserting that “having a hobby was associated with fewer depressive symptoms and higher levels of self-reported health, happiness and life satisfaction,” this statistic reinforces the idea that Americans are continually seeking to improve their quality of life.
However, this number would be even higher if people stopped putting an excess amount of pressure on their hobbies. If a person is overly concerned about mastering their hobby, they are more likely to lose faith in themselves and abandon a project in its early stages, if they even decide to pursue it in the first place. A fear of failure should not be a factor in recreational activities, as that defeats the entire purpose of a relaxing pastime.
There is plenty to be said for the merits of trying one’s best at something and seeking to increase one’s skill set, and it would be impossible to consistently engage in a hobby without seeing some kind of improvement. Nevertheless, this fact should exist as a fringe benefit of a hobby, not the sole reason for taking it on.
Dorie Clark is a lauded communication consultant and author of “The Long Game: How to Be a Long-Term Thinker in a Short-Term World.” In an interview with Forbes pertaining to this book, she emphasized “The payoff for interesting hobbies may be way in the distance, but they are worth pursuing for their own sake now.”
The mental health benefits of having an interesting hobby are enough of a reward and are far more important than a professional payoff later in life. Although some do choose to pursue their hobbies professionally, they cease to be hobbies when they are pursued for financial or career-oriented rewards. Those who value a professional payoff from their hobbies and choose to pursue them professionally will eventually need to find a supplemental hobby to serve as a creative, no-pressure outlet upon which their livelihood does not depend.
People are bound to be discouraged from pursuing hobbies they are interested in if the initial goal of that pursuit is to be good at it. There is nothing wrong with imperfect guitar playing or slow running or faulty pottery. All of these things, no matter at what skill level they are engaged with, create a well-rounded individual, and if they result in any form of happiness or relaxation, that should be enough.
Sophia Rooksberry is a junior studying journalism. Please note that the views and opinions of the columnists do not reflect those of The Post. Want to talk more about it? Let Sophia know by tweeting her @sophiarooks_.
