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Defining the idea of a “hobby” is surprisingly hard
For example you might think low risk is part of it but many hobbies are high risk, like sailing. More so than dangerous professions.
Or low impact. Many of the biggest inventions came from hobbyist tinkering.
For example you might think low risk is part of it but many hobbies are high risk, like sailing. More so than dangerous professions.
Or low impact. Many of the biggest inventions came from hobbyist tinkering.
The best I have so far is: an activity pursued with surplus time and resources, inoculated from considerations of practical returns.
A lot of hobbyists spend ruinous amounts on hobbies, to the detriment of arguably more important things like say health or marriage or kids’ needs. So I don’t know if ex-ante low-stakes is correct. 
https://twitter.com/ritwik_priya/status/1319053634437525505
https://twitter.com/ritwik_priya/status/1319053634437525505
You also do other things in your leisure time, such as spend time with friends/family, watch movies, work on startups, take vacations... so leisure is necessary but not sufficient. https://twitter.com/joeld/status/1319054461764075522
Hmm. This is an intriguing line of thought and I think on to something. Though hobbyist communities can have status contests too, they are easily avoided. You generally don’t need a community to pursue most hobbies. https://twitter.com/mt0bi/status/1319054607067303947
Ok yeah, skill or knowledge seems necessary. So take 2: activity pursued with surplus time and resources, without regard to material reward or social status, and involving developing a skill or gaining knowledge. https://twitter.com/joeld/status/1319056324139880449
There’s also an element of contentment andcrelaxation. The opposite of existential angst or neurotic striving.
Hmm. Some truth to this though I think historically they were unironically called hobbies. This is a zizekian definition a la cynicism as a form of ideology. It’s only a hobby if pursued with some ironic distance from the unironic base concept. https://twitter.com/egoshiner/status/1319064814044459017
