What Is a Hobby?
A hobby is an activity that you enjoy in your spare time. It usually isn’t related to your professional pursuits or at-home responsibilities, and it should bring you joy intrinsically rather than extrinsically. It might take a while to find a hobby that’s a good fit, but if you keep exploring, you’ll likely learn new skills and meet some cool people in the process.
Hobbies can range from sports activities to arts and crafts. They can also be productive and include coding, gardening, cooking, and even learning a new language. They can be social, too—playing cards with friends, going to bingo, or solving jigsaw puzzles are all popular pastimes that you can enjoy with others.
The word hobby originated from a Dutch term, hobby horse, that means “hobby-like thing.” It was originally used to describe a childish or trivial interest but gained more prominence during the 18th century as advancing production and technology gave people more leisure time to pursue their interests. This shift helped usher in a more positive view of hobbies and their role in modern life.
What Is the Difference Between a Hobby and a Passion?
Some hobbies may seem to be indistinguishable from passions, but the two have some key differences. A passion is an intense feeling of enthusiasm and dedication for a particular subject, whereas a hobby is more like an activity that you engage in to pass the time or get some relaxation. You might even make money from your hobby, which is called a side hustle. For example, if you have a sense of humor that is uniquely yours, you could build an audience on Instagram, YouTube, or Facebook and turn your best memes into t-shirts and other products.