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Choosing and Developing Hobbies (self.askRPC)

submitted by Praexology

Decided to post this in askrpc because I'm not sure if itd be right on the main sub. Might make it into a more thorough post if there is interest.

I'm going to try to make this not long winded, so if it feels unfinished or if you have questions please let me know. This post originated because I've been noticing a severe lack of understanding in developing hobbies during OYS posts. Hobbies are a great step forward If you feel stuck in a job, or feel like your evangelistic opportunities are slim. Investing in a new activity deliberately might be the thing that turns it around. Hopefully this brief guide helps.

So I want to take a minute and make and outline some of my philosophies for "Hobbies" and how to evaluate if you are wasting your time with yours.

For simplicity's sake, I've generalized hobbies into 5 categories.

  1. Physical Activity/Health ex. Weight lifting

  2. Financial Gain ex. Picking up scrap metals and selling them.

  3. Artistic Expession ex. Cooking, art, music.

  4. Social Exposure/Networking ex. Volunteering

  5. High Mental Stimulation ex. Reading, taking classes

I have personally found that people who have two or less hobbies quickly plateau. I strongly recommend juggling 3 and each hobby needs to be a combination of at least 2 of the 5 generalizations. (The only exception I make is if you consider going to your own home gym a hobby.)

Three different examples of this being applied: (I will try not to make big stretches with this)

Cooking - It can be an artistic expression, it can very well help concurrent with any physical activity you do, and if you put your mind to developing those skills it can be very mentall stimulating.

Offering Physical Training - Satisfies both Financial (getting paid to train someone) and can help you stay in shape.

Participating in a Local Nerd Convention - Dress up (or down) and get excited. Go the extra mile with your crazy outfit. Then MEET PEOPLE. Those connections might be invaluable for a plethora of reasons.

If you have hobbies that are only 1 of the generalizations I would be pretty shocked if it couldn't be altered into making it two, or that there is a variant that already exists that could be two.

The inverse is, if you don't know how to get better at a hobby, adding another facet is a good way to increase your proficiency at it.

For example, if you are really really into drawing but you never share it at a show, or try to sell it (or heaven forbid you never try to learn how to draw better) either kill that passion, or turn it into something that is more than some pathetic hidden guilty pleasure.

"But Praex, what does this have to do RedPill, or Christianity?"

To say it as briefly as I can, labeling your hobbies under a few of those 5 generalizations can help give you purpose and focus to a hobby. In regards to Redpill it will give you opportunities to test out the material you are suppose to be internalizing.

For the aspect of faith, it is having focused hobbies allows you to use them as a means for furthering your mission and growing your sphere of Godly influence. Passive hobbies like uninspired television watching doesn't add to those around you, nore does it paint the image of God on you. If you have to change a hobby to be more involved in it, to develope it into something that challenges you more, there will be more opportunity to influence others and to lead them.

I'm curious as to what other hobbies you guys here have, if you have a moment (which I'm sure some of you might have due to the Q) I'd be curious to read a short snippet of it and how you're investing in it.


[–]UpTanks1 point2 points  (3 children) | Copy Link

This is good and timely advice. But one thing that I find lacking from RPC in general is being intentional about recharging or just genuinely unwinding. So my definition of hobbies is more on the side of relaxing, without the pressures or the rubbish of life/people, while I do something I enjoy.

So I think something you can add to this is that enjoyment/recharge factor. For example, if I were to apply my hobbies to your method:

  • 1: Physical Activity/Health: Basketball, running and gym
  • 3: Artistic expression: Filming and editing
  • 5: High Mental Stimulation: Online classes, reading self-help and history books

But the only thing on this list I consider truly 'relaxing' is basketball. All the other activities are things that I enjoy, but I take them with the view that they are more personal development. Due to the high amount of effort and the pressure of what personal development is by definition.

What I'm trying to say is that those other activities are being done in order to achieve an outcome. What's funny is that my approach to basketball used to be very much that, but now its purely enjoyment factor - and that's what leads to it being relaxing for me.

[–]Praexology0 points1 point  (2 children) | Copy Link

Do you play basketball with alone or with a group?

[–]UpTanks0 points1 point  (1 child) | Copy Link

Both normally, I practise by myself and then play games in the local league. The games are more enjoyable since they're with friends though.

[–]Praexology1 point2 points  (0 children) | Copy Link

I guess my point of this post, and something I should have illustrated better with my own stuff is that you don't have to increase your proficiency at obvious aspect of the hobby.

Basketball for example, you could get literally better at the "1) Physical Activity/Health" portion of it. Be more athletic, make shots more accurately, higher jump.

Or you could take it the "4) Social Exposure/Networking" way and be deliberate about meeting some of the other guys on the other courts. Or getting to know one of the guys who you play with better. My guess is you've already thought this.

Maybe my whole post is about deliberate intentionality. Guess thats why I posted it in askrpc

[–]OrlandoTheAxe1 point2 points  (2 children) | Copy Link

I'm curious as to what other hobbies you guys here have, if you have a moment (which I'm sure some of you might have due to the Q) I'd be curious to read a short snippet of it and how you're investing in it.

 

Fixing things (mainly cars and motorcycles, but sometimes tools and electronics)

  • Satisfies social exposure and mental stimulation

  • If I add fabrication to this, it approaches artistic expression, but I have limited fab resources because I don't have my own place.

Mountain biking or riding my dirtbike (though hard to do when injured)

  • Satisfies physical activity and social exposure

 

I don't have a third. I could turn fixing things into a business, but I use hobbies as an escape from regular life and would rather not add the stress of financial investments to something I do for fun. Once it becomes an obligation, it isn't an escape anymore.

I think you can spin just about any hobby into something that supports a ministry. In my case, I can invite other people mountain biking to build relationships, and I can fix things for people as a form of service.

[–]Praexology1 point2 points  (1 child) | Copy Link

When I say the financial gain part, my thought would be more like "I took my time and repaired this motorcycle now I'm reselling it for 6x what I boughy." Doesn't have to be a timeline necessarily.

I use hobbies as an escape from regular life and would rather not add the stress of financial investments to something I do for fun.

Training dogs is a hobby for me, I turned it into a 9 - 5 job. That said, I wouldn't clasify it as an extreme passion of mine. Just something I am happy and comfortable doing.

Got any ideas of what else you could do? A hobby doesn't have to be something you're crazy interested in, but a skill or an achievement that you work towards.

[–]Tpetplayr1 point2 points  (0 children) | Copy Link

I do fine woodworking as a hobby, as well as playing the bass guitar. Fine woodworking you could sell the items you make. (though not necessarily always at a profit.) Also, I've started a YouTube channel, of me making things, which potentially could lead to income at some point. I enjoy video editing, so theres that as well. I'm also planning on taking up blacksmithing.

[–]Red-Curious0 points1 point  (0 children) | Copy Link

This is an excellent start. I recommend taking it down, I can give you a few pointers, and then you put it up on RPC AND MRP. This is the type of content they could use over there too, if developed properly - and I rarely post even my own stuff over there. If you're up for it, shoot me a PM and include the text of this post (as I won't be able to access it if you delete this).

You can kill a man, but you can't kill an idea.

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