In the world of AI, hobbies will become ever more important.

So what constitutes a hobby?

A hobby is something that requires skill, requires learning and growth, and (ideally) something that engages you with the world.

What is not a hobby?

Watching movies, reading books, going for walks, listening to music are not really hobbies for most people.1

What makes a good hobby?

  • It should require some skills.
  • It should require learning.
  • It should ideally engage you with the world.

Examples:

  • Painting
  • Dancing
  • Any sports
  • Tabletop games
  • Crochet
  • Video games2

Having an actual hobby signals to the world that you are curious, willing to learn something for the sake of learning, and willing to develop skills that may not have any financial rewards.

Footnotes

  1. They can become hobbies if you deeply engage with the subject. Why is a movie good? Write reviews, engage with other people and communities who liked or disliked it, and so on. Otherwise, it is just consumption. ↩

  2. I am open to changing my mind about whether video games make for a good hobby. ↩